Flanella
by SCIK1012
Summary: With Cinnamon Bun's death the Fire Kingdom lost some of its shine, but amidst the ashes of his passing a new face rises to ease their sorrow. Flame Princess calls her "daughter", and her subjects have accepted her as their new young princess. Finn however, is afraid to ask. Could the girl in FP's arms be hers & Cinnamon Bun's baby? True or not, the child needs a father, right?
1. Act I: The Secret

_**Disclaimer:**__ I don't own any character, name, place or anything related to the original show. Everything belongs to ©Cartoon Network, Frederator Studios and Pendleton Ward._

_**Flanella**_

_**–Spreading the Cards of Destiny–**_

_"The cards give you images and symbols to focus your vague intentions and transform them into action. Your will is the magic. In other words, __you_ are the magic. If you can create something in your heart and then act on it to make it happen, that is magic. Very simple, very straightforward—no witches, no spells, and no broomsticks."

**–Theresa Cheung, about Tarot**

* * *

_**Act I: The Secret**_

* * *

There were too many voices speaking and murmuring at the same time, too many strange fiery faces and too many eyes locked on him. Finn couldn't feel any more uncomfortable than he already was. After eight years of haven't showing himself up in the Fire Kingdom, it wasn't mere casualty that every fire elemental in the hall seemed curious about the human with the tuxedo inside a fireproof suit.

Finn gulped. What was he even doing there?

Princess Bubblegum sent him a worried glance and he replied with a weary smile. Now he could remember, he was accompanying the candy princess to give her last good-bye to Cinnamon Bun. It was the least she could do for that poor guy. After all, he was one of her candy citizens, one of her beloved children.

To think that he was now dead felt extremely weird for both Bubblegum and the hero. One day he was the nerve-wrecking annoyance that everyone used to laugh at, and the next one, he had vanished from existence, sharing the thrills of danger and glory by his female King's side in battle. A battle for the forever craved throne of the Fire Kingdom.

The details of such deadly encounter still remained a mystery to Finn and Princess Bubblegum; all they were allowed to know was that Cinnamon Bun gave his life for Flame Princess. Finn felt his fists tightening. CB remained hers until the last consequences of his chivalry vow. _"Hers" _he thought. The truth was that the human didn't know how to feel about this. It had all been so sudden and brutal for both the Fire and the Candy Kingdoms. Yet for him, well, did Cinnamon Bun mean anything to him at all?

Princess Bubblegum came to the funeral because of Cinnamon Bun, not much to show her condolence to Flame Princess —although the royal protocol could also justify the meaning of her presence there. But Finn, what was he doing in the searing halls of the Fire Palace? For Glob, Flame Princess didn't even invite him! It made him nervous and sweaty. Flame Princess didn't want him by her side, not even during her time of sorrow and mourn. He was there as Princess Bubblegum's escort, and nothing else. Deep inside he didn't want to see her—the fiery king. What would she say? What would she think of him?

That he was a hypocrite? Perhaps. Finn and Cinnamon Bun hadn't been in very good terms after the Flame King escaped with the help of Don Jon. In fact, the last time Finn saw the Knight of the Fire Kingdom was during an intrusion, performed by Cinnamon Bun himself at the Tree Fort. It made Finn angry to remember such event. How come CB, of all people, dared to bash through his door and tell him what to do? How could he insist on telling the human hero to stay away from Flame Princess?

Finn snorted as he walked through the crowd of living flames, the nerve of that pastry! So, after he became FP's white knight he thought that he was in his right to boss everyone around, especially the Hero of Ooo? Who did he think he was anyway?

The envy Finn felt towards Cinnamon Bun —even in death— continued to grow as they approached the Royal Chamber where his body rested, waiting for the final ceremony before his journey to eternal slumber. There they would find Flame Princess, probably crying over him. It was then that it occurred to Finn that his sour thoughts towards Cinnamon Bun had no place in there.

Every person around him had arrived to the palace with the intention of honoring and bidding farewell to someone who had done nothing but good deeds for their kingdom. They were all suffering, and Flame Princess above all, had lost more than a knight or a friend. She lost the one person she truly loved, or so the human thought.

In any case, he would be failing to respect her if he walked in there, feeling envious of her cinnamon hero. Finn sighed. When Bubblegum asked him if he was sure about coming with her, he agreed because he wanted to be there for Flame Princess, not to make fun of Cinnamon Bun. This was all for her.

The great doors to the main chamber were just ahead. Finn breathed in deeply, it was time to stop being a kid and become a man. No matter what reaction Flame Princess showed upon his arrival, he would stay 'till the end.

_**x~x~x~x~x**_

More and more people came inside and for a moment, Finn felt relieved. He thought that maybe Flame Princess wouldn't be able to spot him right away within the crowd. With such bad luck that, as Princess Bubblegum's escort, he was requested to stand beside her, right in the front with the other high-class members of the Fire Court.

Such position granted him a perfect view of the coffin where Cinnamon Bun was laid to rest. There was a picture of the brave knight on top of the closed funerary urn, depicting him as the hero that he once was. There was no sign of Flame Princess anywhere yet, but Finn began to grow anxious with each second that passed.

A silent sob made him lose track of his thoughts and the young man made a quick turn to glance at Bubblegum. The expression of sadness in her face faded soon enough for the human to notice. Bonnibel remained firm to her sense of decorum. She could easily clone an exact copy of the deceased Cinnamon Bun, but even if she were to do so, it wouldn't be the same.

How could it ever be the same? Her half-baked fool, that childish thirty-year-old pastry was dead long before his tragic defeat in battle. And now, he was gone forever.

The ceremony began a few minutes later. And finally, after an eternity for Finn, Flame Princess appeared. Looking so much older than he remembered or expected, she stood before the crowd followed by a couple of Flame Guards. The appearance of innocence that used to make her so pretty left her features long ago, replaced by a look of severe adult beauty, up to the standards of the royal attire that she has worn ever since her ascension to the throne.

Dumbfounded as he was, Finn couldn't keep his eyes off of her. Yet, the sadness that seized her expression was enough to pass the heavy-hearted feeling on to the human, drowning him in compassion rather than in those annoying, obsessive emotions that used to take his brain away whenever he laid his eyes on her.

The King began her speech. Not a lengthy or boring one, but a clear, sincere and full of feeling discourse that jerked more than one tear among the audience, including Bonnibel Bubblegum herself. As for Finn, he was indeed moved by Flame Princess' words, feeling more and more miserable and ashamed of himself. _"She loved him…"_ he uttered in remorse, _"she really did."_

He kept staring at Flame Princess, calling her with his eyes, until suddenly… hers finally met his. Startled by Finn's presence, she lost track of her speech and a curtain of silence fell to crush them both. Before someone could complain about her loss of words, Flame Princess resumed her speech. However, her look of surprise didn't change that fast.

She continued to exchange furtive glances with the human hero, like in a mute conversation. At first there was awkwardness in her eyes, then confusion. Sometimes glimpsing the young man with irritation as if she were blaming him for something. And then, she looked at him in reproach as if asking, _"Where have you been?" _

As her discourse progressed her glances softened, some of sadness, others of sympathy. There were just so many emotions in her eyes, giving away every word she wanted to cross with him. Finn returned all of them, even sending a pitiful look that begged for forgiveness. At this, Flame Princess' eyes grew stern and her face displayed plenty of worry.

Finn couldn't help to feel disappointed, and he looked away until the end of the ceremony.

**_x~x~x~x~x_**

Cinnamon Bun's body departed to the Death World, cremated by a powerful fireblast that Flame Princess unleashed at his coffin after finishing her speech. Every being in the room stared at the flames in silence for as much time as they wanted. Then, little by little, everyone left the room. It was the King's duty to pick up the ashes and keep them safe with her.

As in any social event, people gathered in a more comfortable area to chat and eat an appetizer, but mostly to give some solace to Flame Princess. In the end, Princess Bubblegum —who at first wanted to leave without meeting the Neo-Flame King— chose to express her condolences to her after listening to that moving speech. Nevertheless, they both cared for Cinnamon Bun, so she couldn't see why she shouldn't do that.

"Finn, I'll go see Flame Princess for a minute. Then we'll leave, okay?" Bubblegum explained, "Do you wanna join me or has this been a little too much for you?"

Finn thought for a moment and wondered, "Peebs… Do you know if…? Do you think FP's and Cinnamon Bun's relationship was like… the romantic type?"

"Gee, Finn… Is this really the proper time and place to ask such thing?" the human tensed his expression in concern and she sighed. "Alright, to tell the truth I'm not quite sure, and I never cared to ask either. But if you really need to know, I think it was pretty obvious that they shared strong feelings for each other, wasn't it?"

Frustration seized the young man's features. Was he expecting Bubblegum to tell him something different? Being realistic, he lost his chance with Flame Princess since he induced her to fight the Ice King, and it was time to accept it. It had been eight years since that terrible mistake and they weren't kids anymore. Finn was determined to dedicate his life to adventure and being the hero that he always wanted to be. As for Flame Princess, even if he still kept her memory close to his heart, had to move on from her loss and continue to rule the Fire Kingdom on her own.

Still, that didn't mean they had to live their lives apart from the other like in the last years. Finn knew well that Flame Princess didn't have many friends. The best he could do for her was to be there and let her know that she wasn't alone, leaving all prejudice aside and assuming his role as Hero of Ooo. Flame Princess might have lost her most loyal friend or lover, but it didn't matter to him now.

"I understand." He declared, "Anyway, I wanna see her too."

Princess Bubblegum gave Finn a nod and dragged him with her. Flame Princess was sitting on her throne, surrounded by subjects with flaming flowers and all sorts of presents that might help their king feel better. She received them and thanked her people politely, regardless of how empty she felt in reality. Cinnamon Bun's fire wolf was resting at her feet, its head hung down in sadness.

Just by standing a few inches away from her, Finn's cold resolve melted instantly as his feelings for her rekindled. This time, however, he had someone to make him aware of that before he could start acting like a moron again.

"Umm, Finn… Your cheeks are redder than the carpet we're standing on." Bubblegum warned.

"What?" he whelped, covering his face, "No way!"

"Dude, it so obvious even I feel pity for you! What the junk, Finn? I thought you had given up on dating stuff a long time go!"

"I know! I know! And I'm trying, believe me!" the human protested, exasperated.

"Then try harder, otherwise you'll end up making a fool of yourself!"

"Next!" a Flame Guard yelled, causing the fire people behind them to push Finn and Bubblegum forward.

There was nowhere to run now. Flame Princess was focusing her full attention on the two. Her features remained inexpressive, waiting for someone to speak up.

Feeling intimidated, Finn leaned close to Bonnibel's ear, whispering.

"Better go back, now that we have the chance!"

"Are you kidding?! It's too late for that now!" she muttered impatiently.

"What's wrong?" Flame Princess inquired, arching an eyebrow. "Eight years have passed and all you are gonna do is to stand there like statues?" she shifted in her place a little and said, "Welcome back to my kingdom, Princess Bubblegum and Finn the Human. Nothing like the joyful visit of two old friends to help someone feel better, huh?"

The two aforesaid turned pale as ghosts, paralyzed by the severity in Flame Princess' words and her sarcasm. Unexpectedly though, she let go of her stern frown and in a more relaxed manner admitted, "I'm just pulling your leg, c'mon. It's funny."

"Heh, funny? Yeah…" Finn giggled nervously as his face regained some color.

"My, my, Finn! Look at you, I bet no one dares to mess with you these days. You've grown to become quite the hero, nice arm by the way."

"Y-you really think so?" he blushed, curling up his new mechanical extremity.

A small accident with his cursed Grass Sword had forced the hero to find himself a new right arm. Over the years though, he grew used to that distinct limb, even enough to feel proud about it.

"And Princess Bubblegum, I see you keep modifying your biomass to appear younger than you truly are."

"Hey! How did you—?!" Bonnibel exclaimed in anger.

"Nothing in Ooo remains a secret to me." Flame Princess declared, "Thank you for coming. I knew CB —may he rest in peace— was sort of like a son to you."

"Yes." Princess Bubblegum let her eyes drift on the ground, "Yes he was…"

"And Finn, what a surprise. I wasn't expecting you at all here, yet I'm glad you came. It's been a while since the last time we met." A concerned look took over her face, "I hope you forgive me for not inviting you… It's just that, well, since you've been avoiding me all this time—I was afraid you wouldn't show up, even if I sent you an invitation. In any case, your presence here means a lot to me. I'm sure CB thinks the same."

The soft smile that Flame Princess gave him sidetracked Finn, but he immediately shook in confusion. "W-wait! What? I-I wasn't avoiding you! I never wanted to stay away from you, I thought CB told you—!"

"It's fine, Finn. It's in the past." She rose from her seat, apologizing. "Now, if you excuse me… It's been a long day… and there's _something_ I must take care of. It was nice to see you two again, I hope we can meet again someday, in more cheerful circumstances perhaps."

"No! Hold up, Flame Princess!"

Finn pulled her arm, forcing her to stop. Said action caused the multitude around them to gasp and alert the Flame Guards.

"Finn, I really need you to let go of me." Flame Princess warned with a hiss.

"But I need to explain this! I-I never wanted things to end up like this! My feelings for you have never changed! What I mean is that, I wasn't avoiding you! Cinnamon Bun told me—!"

"Finn, that's enough!" she ordered, her fire blazing up in anger.

"Forget it, Finn!" Bubblegum tried to meddle in, "I thought you said you would let go of Flame Princess for real this time!" then in a whispering voice, "C'mon, th-there's a new dungeon waiting for you back in the Candy Kingdom! Rattleballs built it just for you! Remember? Secret training? C'mon now, don't make a fool of yourself!"

Finn turned back to the pink princess, quite altered by her constant reminder. "I am not making a fool of myself, PB! Not this time!"

He then returned to Flame Princess, begging her to listen. "It was Cinnamon Bun. He told me that you wanted me to stay away forever, and I believed him because you acted like you meant that back then!"

"Why would Cinnamon Bun say something like that?!" she demanded, losing her patience. "If you're making up that lie to win me back, I swear I—!"

"I'm not lying, I swear! CB, on the other hand—he!"

"He's dead, Finn!" Flame Princess cried out as her guards came up to arrest him, "Please just… take him away…"

Two Flame Guards seized him, pulling him back with all of their strength as the human struggled to free his body from their mighty embrace.

"Please, FP! Listen to me! I swear I don't understand why Cinnamon Bun did that either, but—I wish I knew why! Whatever the reason, I bet he did it for your good! After all, he loved you more than I do, didn't he? I understand if CB thought I was a nuisance for the two of you!"

"So… Cinnamon Bun was hiding secrets from me as well…?" the young king asked herself, afflicted by this new doubt that no one could answer. "No… I can't believe it… He wouldn't do that… H-he couldn't be trying to—!"

A sharp baby's crying broke through the racked of the confused fire citizens and the arguing between their king and the human. A young fire elemental maiden came running down the stairs, carrying said baby with her. Both Finn and Bubblegum let out a gasp when she offered the small girl to Flame Princess with the following words:

"My king, I'm sorry to interrupt, but since you never came to feed the young Princess and she began to cry, all I could think of was to bring her to you. Please, give your daughter some of your time!"

The fire ruler received the baby in her arms, letting her distress fade away. "It's okay, I'll take care of her now. You can leave."

As the maiden left, Finn locked his astonished eyes on Flame Princess. Were his senses working well? Did he just hear that FP was the mother of that baby girl? And if she was, did that mean there was also a father? Who?

"Where did that baby come from?" Bubblegum's voice echoed, full of concern and curiosity. "Flame Princess, did you? H-how did you? What's the meaning of this? Who is that baby?"

Flame Princess sighed as she turned to meet Bonnibel's eyes.

"This is Flanella, and she is my daughter."

"What?" the candy ruler exclaimed, "Impossible!"

Finn felt his entire body tremble, his world crumbling. Flame Princess would never lie. That was her baby for sure, and it could only mean that some other guy was the true owner of her heart. But who? Unless—no… It couldn't be possible, could it?

"How can that be true? Your body hasn't been stabilized, you couldn't have—!"

"Princess Bubblegum, you're not allowed to make so many questions regarding to my body or whatever I do with it." Flame Princess denounced sternly, "Leave now or I'll be forced to apprehend you as well!"

"FP…" she heard Finn whisper as her guards dragged him away.

"Hold on, guards!" their king ordered, "Let the human go…"

The hero denoted how her anger melted into sadness and concern. He couldn't tell however, if Flame Princess' regained serenity was caused due to the presence of the little girl in her embrace. Perhaps she was trying to avoid upsetting her baby, perhaps she still felt some compassion towards him after all. How could he know? Flame Princess fixed her amber eyes on his blue ones, both silently screaming at each other for a moment of peace, a moment of clarity.

"Finn deserves an explanation." She uttered softly, and then disappeared behind the main staircase.

Free from the brute soldiers' grasp, Finn stood back on his feet ready to follow Flame Princess deeper within her castle. However, he was afraid to ask. Was it even possible? Could the child on Flame Princess' arms be Cinnamon Bun's daughter as he suspected?

_Does Finn even want to know the truth?_

* * *

**_Author's Notes:_**

**_Alright, I know it's weird but trust me. It's not what you think! Or is it? Please give the story a chance, you might even enjoy what I have planned for this unusual fanfic.  
_**

**_I feel like I need some constructive criticism on this AU. Was someone acting out of character? Review, express your opinion, suggest stuff, whatever you feel like. Thanks!  
_**


	2. Act II: Determined Absolution

_**Flanella**_

* * *

_**Act II: Determined Absolution**_

* * *

With every step they made, Finn felt getting closer and closer to the answers he desired. Flame Princess walked before him, not really rushing things up. The human guessed she was either being careful with the baby in her arms or just too exhausted to run all the way upstairs. Their steps echoed in the lonely hallways as they marched across the many paintings on the walls. With a sudden turn, Flame Princess walked through a giant tapestry and disappeared behind it. Finn, although a little confused, followed her inside it.

The human was surprised about the new area he was now visiting. It seemed the walls were built of a different type of rock that made the environment fresher. In fact, the air was cool enough for him to take off his fireproof suit. Finn could only wonder what was the reason behind the construction of such place in the Fire Kingdom. Was this a place where Cinnamon Bun could wander when his flame shield wore off?

"Flame Princess…" he whispered shyly, "What is this place?"

The fire elemental, who was about to open a new door, stopped in her steps and sighed. She softly caressed the cold surface of the rocky wall with her hand as she closed her eyes.

"I built this area for it to serve a special purpose in the future…" Flame Princess eyed him, smiling disillusioned. "But I don't know if that dream will ever come true… For now, it's just a secret chamber to everyone but us, Finn."

Not quite satisfied with that answer, the young man continued to move forward, only to be stopped by the young king before he could step inside the next room. He briefly peeked inside to discover it was just a simple bedroom.

"Uhm… Sorry, but I was going to feed her, you see?"

For the first time, Finn took a better glance of the baby in her arms. There wasn't anything strange or uncanny about her. Actually, she seemed no different from any normal fire elemental infant, except that her flames seemed weaker than her mother's. It was only a newborn child, fragile and small, vulnerable and tender.

Although she shared no resemblance whatsoever with Flame Princess, which surprised Finn a bit, it wasn't a proof that the baby wasn't hers. Choosing to ignore that for now, the young man smiled softly, reaching out to touch the girl.

The mother allowed him to do so and he felt how warm her skin was. So, not only her flames were weak but also her body heat. It made Finn wonder if every fire elemental baby felt like that.

"Finn?" he heard her call, "I was telling you that I still need to feed her. Would it bother you if I asked you for a little help?"

The young man snapped out of it and replied immediately, "O-of course I'd help you!"

With that, she let him enter with her. The room was quite empty except for the humble bed and some drawers. Finn stood behind, watching Flame Princess as she looked around for something. The silence fell flat on them once more, as awkward as ever. Now that he thought about it, what did he know about feeding newborns?

When Flame Princess turned back to him she was holding a small blanket, which she then offered to him. "Would you hold her for a second?"

The hero took the blanket and then nervously asked, "You mean, the baby?"

"Don't you know how to hold a baby?" the elemental chuckled, "Let me show you."

He felt Flame Princess lean close to him, as she laid her daughter in his arms. A light blush covered his face. Finn understood that he had to cover the girl with the blanket, wrapping her delicately in it while the mother held the baby's head.

"S-so tiny!" Finn exclaimed, drawing a sweet smile on Flame Princess' lips.

She took his mechanical arm, instructing him to support the girl's head. The young man couldn't hide his own joyful grin as he did this. The scene was comparable to that of a young couple, interacting with their child for the first time. It made him wish he actually were the baby's father. Though he wasn't sure if he was ready to assume such a big responsibility, yet.

"Good, just like that." Flame Princess whispered, "Wait here until I return with her bottle, okay? I'll be back soon and I'll explain everything, I promise. "

"No prob, FP!" Finn looked down at the child, "Hey… I think she likes me!"

The young king rushed to the door, but before heading out, she glanced back at the human and spoke with a wishful voice. "You know, Finn? I think… maybe… you could become a great dad one day…"

Finn watched her leave in silence as he considered those words. How hard could it be? He pondered. It wasn't easy to deal with the fact that the little bundle of joy in his arms —Flanella— gave off a soft cinnamon scent, which seemed to confirm his suspicions. But even if she was CB's daughter or not, the brave knight was gone, leaving both Flame Princess and her baby alone.

Again, that urge to be there for FP appeared in his heart. Could it be that maybe, she would accept him as that missing fatherly figure? It didn't mean that they would have to get back together at all, but if Flame Princess let him, he would be happy to take care of that great responsibility, and be the knight and champion that he once failed to be.

The young woman walked through the door, this time followed by her fire wolf. The beast lay its body down by the entrance, moaning quietly. Flame Princess patted its head and continued forward. Meeting Finn's determined stare, she tilted her head in wonder.

"Is there something you wanna tell me, Finn?"

"Actually, yes." The hero answered firmly, "There is something I've been meaning to tell you."

With a sigh, the curious king made her way to the bed and took a seat on it. Her hand motioned for Finn to do the same, patting a place next to her. None of them spoke a word after that. They simply assumed each other's role on the task ahead, with Finn holding the baby for Flame Princess as she gave the bottle to her. Little by little, its nutritious content began to disappear. The young mother was careful, watching that the child would drink slowly so that she wouldn't choke with the liquid. She hummed softly as to lull her daughter, absorbed in the moment.

Once again Finn fell spellbound by the fire elemental before him, as a feeling of deep admiration grew within him. Flame Princess wasn't only a dedicated ruler, but also a devoted and tender mother, and realizing this made him love her even more than he thought he could. His choice was made, he would propose himself as her new protector.

"W-what… What I wanted to tell you…" the young man whispered, noticing how the little girl fell asleep. "What I mean is…"

Flame Princess stared at him attentively. It was then that the human discerned the exhaustion and the sorrow in her expression. For a moment he had forgotten about the funeral and everything Flame Princess had lost that day. How stupid of him. If he wasn't careful it would look like as if all he wanted was to take over the vacant space that Cinnamon Bun left after his death, in expense of FP's pain.

Finn quickly changed his mind and said, "You don't have to do this if you don't want to, FP. You don't owe me any explanations…"

"No… Of course I have to!" she uttered, "None of this is what it seems. I want you to know the truth, Finn."

Flanella was deep asleep by now. The young man took her up and placed her gently on the other side of the bed.

"Alright…" he said, "But before that, it looks like you need some rest too. I can feel your fire weakening… You haven't slept well these days, have you?"

"It's been three days since the last time I saw a bed…" Flame Princess confessed. "All because of that damned invasion… The battle lasted four days, and it seems it hasn't ended yet… I barely made it alive, thanks to CB's sacrifice… Since then I haven't been given time to rest, not even to cry his death…"

"And yet you're here, dealing with me…" Finn uttered, ashamed. "Forget about it, FP… Just for a minute, you deserve to rest a little."

As if he had been granted permission by the king herself, the human knelt at her feet and freed them from the uncomfortable armor that covered them. He slowly lifted her legs and laid them to rest on the bed, forcing Flame Princess to lie on her back. In the same way, ever so gently, he proceeded to strip her of the rest of the heavy armor, until only her white dress was left to conceal her skin.

"Now that's much better, right?" the young man asked.

Feeling more comfortable, Flame Princess laid her head on a pillow and sighed in relief. "It is… Thank you."

He gave her a nod and a satisfied smile. It would be better to leave the room and let both child and mother sleep in peace. Finn quietly walked to the entrance, resolved to leave that discussion for another day.

"Wait, Finn…" Flame Princess' voice traveled across the room, reaching his ears before he could abandon her. "Stay for a while, please… I haven't felt this lonely ever since I was locked in the lantern…"

The young man returned to her side, unsure of continuing with this unusual situation. What did she expect him to do? There wasn't a place where he could sit other than that bed. It wouldn't be appropriated to just lie next to her, the King of the Fire Kingdom, on bed like that.

"How come we've grown to treat each other like strangers, Finn?"

At this he flinched, realizing that Flame Princess was aware of his internal struggle. She moved closer to her baby, making space for him to accompany her. Now he had no excuse to deny her request. Finn sat close to the edge, still somewhat intimidated and embarrassed by her presence.

More silence came crashing down, and Finn didn't know what to do with his hands or where to rest them. The same happened with his eyes, as the young man felt it would be awkward to just watch Flame Princess sleep. He stared at a distant wall for ten minutes, until a quiet whimper drove his attention to Flanella.

"S-she's…" the human stuttered, "You've got a cute baby, FP…"

"You mean, you like her?"

"Why wouldn't I?"

Flame Princess turned to look at him with a concerned glance. "I don't know… I was afraid you wouldn't take this whole situation as calmly as you've done it until now…"

Finn tensed his features, "Do you miss him?"

The fire elemental sat up, staring at the human severely, "Of course I do. He was everything to me… He was always there for me, watching over me, ready to defend me from the whole world if he had to…"

Tears began to swell up in her eyes and she turned her sight away from the human. Finn sighed, gripping his fists tightly. It was hard to listen to the girl he loved talking like that about another man. Flame Princess was in pain, he could listen to her, fighting back the tears. How could he keep her from suffering?

Finn moved closer then, surrounding her with his arms. Even though her body was weakened because of her exhaustion, he could still feel his skin sizzling against hers. But he wouldn't let go. He would never let her go again. Flame Princess couldn't take it anymore; her tears began to flow onto the human's chest. Desperate tears, sobs, and moans that she couldn't contain any longer.

The hero held her until she released all of her hurtful emotions, until her catharsis was finally achieved. Finn couldn't tell how or when his hands began roam up and down her back and naked shoulders, granting solace to the woman they held, even when he felt like an intruder in that intimate territory. Even when she wasn't his to hold…

"Cinnamon Bun… he… he was like a father to me…"

The human froze in the middle of his actions, a look of infinite astonishment seizing his face.

"He always…" Flame Princess sobbed, more relieved now. "Looked after me like if I were his little girl… He used to make up stories and guide me with his wise advice; things my real father never cared to do for me… No matter what, CB was always making sure I got enough food and sleep before my royal duties… And I loved him so, like a devoted daughter…"

Finn stared at her, full of confusion. "B-but… I thought!"

"If only you'd let me explain, Finn…" she whispered, caressing his cheek with the back of her hand. "It's complicated, but I trust you'll understand…"

"Then, I'll listen to whatever you have to say, FP…"

The fire elemental smiled, pleased by his answer.

"It all began a year ago, before the invasion… My cousin, Furnius, was the son of the original Flame King, and ever since my father took over the throne he never ceased to search for a way to get it back. Some months ago, however, Furnius returned to discover that I had done the very thing he was never able to achieve, to overthrow my father…

He insisted in that even though I had proved to be the King our people wanted with my power, I lacked the royal right to possess it. He, on the other hand, was supposed to be the true heir of the crown. I denied his words, ready to charge at him when Cinnamon Bun interfered and managed to drive him off. At least until he came back with a new excuse to grasp the crown…"

Flame Princess shifted, feeling how her nerves grew tense.

"What's wrong, FP?" the young man whispered, taking her hand in his.

"You must understand," she breathed sorrowfully, "I would do anything for my kingdom and my people, Finn…"

"I do. Don't worry about that." He assured with a gentle smile.

"The ancient laws of the Fire Kingdom are not mine to change. Furnius took advantage of that and used them against me. Since there were two eligible heirs to the throne, the only way for me to remain as the king was to marry a suitor in order to ensure that I would provide future descendants to the royal bloodline.

Only that would grant me advantage over Furnius, and of course, he expected me to refuse—and of course, I was about to do it, until Cinnamon Bun stepped in again and convinced Furnius that I would fulfill my duty as ruler of the Fire Kingdom, no matter what. I thought he was crazy. CB knew perfectly how I felt about unwanted royal engagements, and yet he was expecting me to cope with something like that.

That night Cinnamon Bun explained what he meant… To keep me from marrying just any other jerk that might wish to seize my crown, CB and I would have to fake a secret engagement that only Furnius knew of. Of course, we understood that it wouldn't be enough to convince him… so…"

Finn grew uncomfortable. "I guess I now understand why Cinnamon Bun insisted on keeping me away from you…" he sighed, averting his eyes from hers. "I would have ruined everything like I always do."

"Perhaps…" Flame Princess admitted, "After all, CB knew better than anyone how I feel for you…"

"But eight years ago he told me that—! Well, he didn't really explain himself… But he told me that you weren't interested in me anymore!"

"Finn, how would it ever be easy to just forget what we had back then? I've always cherished both our good and bad times together, but the fate of my people will always come in first, and that's something you must understand."

The human let go of Flame Princess' hand, nodding in silence.

"But… that doesn't mean I wasn't waiting for the day we could—…" she trailed off, "I never wanted to drag you into this…"

"So… About Flanella… Did CB and you? You know…"

Flame Princess forced Finn to stare back at her, their hearts racing in anticipation.

"Finn… the truth is…"

Suddenly, Jake 2 leapt up, snarling frantically. Finn and Flame Princess left the bed and headed towards the entrance as soon as the wolf began to bark and howl, worried that it might awake the baby with all of that noise.

"What's wrong, buddy?" the king asked, scratching the back of the fire wolf's ears to calm him down.

Jake 2 eyed the secret passage to the hallway anxiously.

"Someone must be looking for me…" FP explained.

"Then go, it might be something important." The human sighed in resignation.

"B-but…" Flame Princess insisted, concerned.

Finn dragged her outside before she could keep protesting. A fire elemental dressed with worn travel clothes gasped in surprise and ran towards the two as fast as its skinny legs let him.

"Y-your Highness! My King!" the messenger shouted, "You must return to the west plains immediately! I-I brought an urgent message from your brother in the battlefield; he needs your presence at the front lines! Now! C'mon, you can't waste another minute in here, your Majesty!"

"Front lines?" Finn repeated, glancing back at Flame Princess in confusion. "Battlefield?"

"As you can see, we couldn't stop Furnius' plans to seize the throne, not even by doing what the law said… He's responsible for the invasion and Cinnamon Bun's death. And he won't stop at anything until he puts my flames out, so that he can take the crown by force!"

"Then I'll go with you!" the hero claimed with determination. "This time I'll fight by your side, like I should have eight years ago!"

"No!" Flame Princess said firmly, pushing him back. "It's too dangerous for you, Finn! Even that special suit you wear, won't be enough to protect you from the fires of war!"

Finn tried to protest but soon he found the young king standing right in front of him. Her blazing eyes caught his in a tender glance that displayed care and worry.

"I can't afford to keep losing the few people I truly care about in battle once again, especially not the only man I've ever loved…"

The hero couldn't utter a single word except for the strong blush, growing across his face.

"We'll meet again soon, Finn… Then you'll understand everything, I promise."

She leaned in and kissed his cheek, captivating Finn with the soft touch of her burning lips, a feeling long ago missed by him.

"This isn't over yet!" Flame Princess assured as she drew herself back. "_Please take care of Flanella for me…" _

And she jumped onto her fire wolf's back and departed to war, persuading him of her prompt return.

"Be careful, FP…" the human sighed.


	3. Act III: Spend this Night with Me

_**Flanella**_

* * *

_**Act III: Spend this Night with Me**_

* * *

Back to the Tree Fort, back to the place he called home. The young warrior couldn't believe he had been humiliated once again, always within the limits of the Fire Kingdom. First by Cinnamon Bun —who he now felt that deserved a little respect, instead of being jealous of him all the time—, and just moments ago by Flame Princess herself… Why, was the hero supposed to stay home, away from the many perils of battle while the princess hurried to war on her own? He should be the one struggling to defend her instead, right? He was the man!

Finn sighed. Who was he trying to fool? Flame Princess was right, against an army of enraged fire elementals with their blazing homeland as battlefield, what chance could a feeble human stand? He would probably become a burden for her at some point, no matter how hard he tries, and that was the last thing she needed.

Outside of the Fire Kingdom's borders, the dark blue skies of the night became once again visible. A fresh breeze blew across the grassy plains, sending a cold shiver down the young man's spine. He had already grown used to the heat of Flame Princess' homeland and now, the chilling winds that came from the Ice Kingdom were giving him goose bumps. Thankfully, though, little Flanella was sleeping in his arms as Finn made his way home.

The warmth of her fiery skin against his chest made the unpleasant journey all more tolerable. And the thought of bringing Flame Princess' baby home with him was joyful enough to drive the cold away. It felt like carrying a piece of her heart, Flame Princess' passionate heart.

At last, the Tree Fort stood in the horizon and when Finn climbed the ladder into the living room, his magical brother, who couldn't hide his own nervous grin, welcomed him inside.

"Let me see if I get this straight," Jake mumbled, "You went to that obnoxious ceremony for a lady, and you came back with a baby?"

"Don't start with the mocking, bro!" Finn protested, "It's been a hard day…"

The fatigue was visible on the human's face. Even for someone as distracted as the stretchy dog, it was obvious that his young brother wasn't in the mood to be toyed with. Leaving his cup of hot tea aside, Jake left his seat on the couch and pointed a corner behind Finn's back.

"Watch out for the bat on the ceiling, then!" he warned.

Finn turned to find Marceline, casting off her invisibility cloak as she clutched her body tightly onto the roof.

"Thanks for ruining my scare, Jake!" the Vampire Queen complained.

She let her red boots hit the floor and walked up to the young man. Eight years had passed, and even in that time Finn hadn't grown any taller than the undead bass player. Unfortunately for her, the difference of height wasn't enough to intimidate the now irritated twenty-three year-old man before her, at least not like it used to when he was only twelve.

"Why are you shooting daggers at me, now?" Marceline snapped, crossing her arms. "I haven't done or said anything yet!"

"Could you guys just keep it down? Y'all are gonna wake Flanella up!"

"Flanella?" whispered both the dog and the vampire, exchanging a look of remarkable confusion.

Finn let out a deep sigh, hoping to ease some of his stress. Of all the possible visitors that he wasn't expecting to meet, why did it have to be Marceline the Vampire Queen? As if the situation wasn't embarrassing enough to explain to Jake, now the young hero could only hope that Marceline would be willing to take things seriously.

He chose to take a seat next to his brother, while the vampire floated above them, staring at the small baby girl in curiosity. Finn cautiously shifted his arms, embracing Flanella so that she could continue sleeping comfortably. It caught Marceline's attention to notice how the young man displayed a weary smile as the baby unconsciously gripped his thumb with her tiny hands.

"I suppose…" the queen quietly said, "Things didn't go as expected at CB's funeral, huh?"

"I thought you were best friends with Cinnamon Bun too, Marceline. Why didn't you come with us to his funeral?"

"Please, Finn… I used to be his friend when he was nothing but a fool, you know. Ever since he became a royal knight, hanging out with him stopped being fun." She blew a lock of black hair out of her eyes. "Besides, funerals aren't my thing… The world's already depressing enough..."

"I wish I could flee from everything as easily as you do, Marcy." Finn sighed.

"But, bro, nobody forced you to go there!"

"I know, I know. It's just… I had been waiting all this time for a chance to see Flame Princess again, and then Cinnamon Bun gets killed—like—I never wanted this to happen!" he laid his blue eyes on his brother's, trembling in uneasiness. "And the look on FP's face… Man, I never thought I'd ever see so much pain and sadness combined…"

"We are all sorry for her, Finn." Jake admitted, patting his brother's back. "And this wasn't anyone's fault, is that clear?"

The human nodded, glancing down at Flanella.

"What gives? I mean, I get it was an ordeal to see your ex-girlfriend in such an awful state after so long, but what's up with that baby?"

Marceline floated down, scooting between Finn and Jake on the couch, as she waited for an answer. The magical dog turned to the human as well, curiosity taking the best of him. After all, that's what they both wanted to hear in the first place.

_Here goes… _The hero thought, taking in a deep breath. "This is Flame Princess' daughter, her name is Flanella."

The Vampire Queen stared at Finn then at Jake, and then back at Finn. "You are kidding me… Right?" His silence caused her to grow anxious, "Finn?"

**x~x~x~x~x**

A fire wolf flying across the ashen night sky was considered one of the strangest and luckiest sights in the Land of Ooo. For its rider, the king of the Fire Kingdom, it had simply lost all of its meaning since Cinnamon Bun's death. Flame Princess focused on the road ahead, trying to ignore her own thoughts. She always hated to travel alone, it was like waking up in the middle of the night; too much time to think.

If there was anything worse than being left alone with her thoughts, left with nothing but her untamed mind, which knew her weaknesses better than her worst enemy, it was to leave her daughter behind. Flame Princess giggled. So she had really grown attached to that little girl? Who knew one day, she would grow to be a mother? Although it didn't happen under the circumstances she once dreamed of, Flame Princess was grateful for it.

Flanella would be fine, she was safe with Finn, and there couldn't be a better guardian in the whole land. Finn… How different he had become from the boy she used to know. At least he now seemed to know what his priorities were. Always kind and compassionate, although a bit reckless still, Flame Princess sensed he had gone through a lot in the last years. Perhaps it was just that he had matured, perhaps he was ready to assume a greater role in her life.

Back there at the castle, he showed so much understanding and care. Instead of freaking out or demanding a cold explanation, the young man chose to listen to her jabbering, offering her comfort and tenderness. He wasn't rude to Flanella either, even though she was another man's child. Instead, he showed her the compassion that she had once fallen in love with. For a moment there, it was like in those days when she used to believe he was a prince. The days of innocence long ago lost, somewhere in time.

"Prince Finn of the Grasslands…" she chuckled at the wind, "Dang it, Finn… Why do you always have to make things so complicated for me?"

No one could say she hadn't tried. She had tried oh so hard to pretend that she didn't care about him anymore. But, with the arrival of sleep every night, she always ended up finding Finn in each of her dreams. And in dormant whispers wet with tears, she continued to call out his name, all through the night... No one knew except for Cinnamon Bun. And only him could understand how much it hurt to be a king. How much it hurt to lay next to the wrong person, day after day, after day…

Flame Princess wiped a tear off her eye and grasped her wolf's ears as she commanded it with a firm voice, "Jake 2, let's descend!"

The flying beast swam down across the starless sky until its paws clutched the unsteady earth. Passing from a smooth glide to an abrupt run, the young king recognized she had once again, fallen prey of her own thoughts. Oh how much she hated to travel alone.

In the distance, her troops' secret base camp awaited. Her arrival mobilized the many eager soldiers that were patiently expecting their king's return. Flame Princess greeted them all and advanced into the General's tent, there she was welcomed by her older sibling.

"Big brother!"

"Dear sister… I apologize for bringing you back to the battlefield so soon, after all, you're still in mourning and—."

"It doesn't matter now…" she harshly replied.

A short embrace was shared between the two siblings as they whispered those words. Much to her concern, Flame Princess couldn't help to notice the cast on her brother's arm along with other many wounds.

"What happened? Water?" she inquired.

"No…" her brother breathed, "Ice… Lots and lots of ice…"

"How come? Have they recruited ice wizards?"

"Negative. Ice wizards wouldn't stand five minutes in this heat."

"Fudge, Furnius! What are you up to now?" Flame Princess groaned impatiently, biting her thumb's nail.

Her brother placed a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry, sister. We've got Torcho! He's our prisoner! The only problem is that there's no way to make him spill the beans, unless we proceed to use torturing methods…"

"No. Not in my kingdom." She declared, "Much less against our own family, brother."

The older fire elemental nodded in understanding. "I see… Then, you're the only one left who can make him talk. Now, if you excuse me, I'll go ahead and make the proper preparations."

Flame Princess stayed behind, wishing her head would stop throbbing. A Flame Guard approached her seconds later, bowing before her.

"My King, is there something I can offer you before the interrogation?"

"Yeah…" she confessed, almost desperate. "I need my tea."

"Very well, your Highness."

"And please!" the young ruler added hurriedly, "Let it be the strongest one available…! _Stupid headache_… _Stupid thoughts_."

**x~x~x~x~x**

Now they had done it! Flanella was awake and crying, all because Jake and Marceline couldn't contain their own astonishment after Finn told them the little he knew about Flame Princess' daughter. The hero couldn't understand why the look on their faces was irking him so much. Those anxious smirks couldn't disguise the shock and the agitation they truly felt. And Finn couldn't understand either why he felt as if his friends were insulting Flame Princess with their reaction.

Of course they didn't mean it, but he couldn't avoid the feeling, and the discontent showed itself upon the human's glare. Soon the dog and the vampire were forced to catch the silent message and they procured to behave as seriously as they could. Who would know Finn could get so sensitive all of a sudden? Especially over a child he barely knew.

"So…" the Vampire Queen cleared her throat, "Is it true, then?"

The human struggled to calm down Flanella's crying in vain, sighing. "I don't know… I've never felt so confused and frustrated in my life. It's not like, it'd bother me if she was actually a mother now, but the thing is… It does bother me to think that she might have—you guys know what I'm talking about!"

"Flame Princess didn't explain anything to you?" Jake inquired, concerned about his brother's dismay.

"She tried, but the few things she told me only made it worse, and I can't help to think that—well, it's better not to think much about it. I don't wanna start judging her. All I know is that… It is not what it seems… Yeah, that's what she told me…"

Marceline furrowed her brow. "And if it's not what it seems, then what is it?! I think it's pretty obvious, and I'm sorry to say it, but Flame Princess must be ashamed of admitting the truth to you, Finn!"

"What truth?!" the young hero gasped, frowning at the vampire.

Jake shrunk and hid behind a pillow, escaping from the rising arguing.

"That's Cinnamon Bun's kid, alright? Face it, Finn! That's the way things are, life's never fair!" Marceline let her eyes wander off towards the window, staring at the Ice Kingdom in the distance. "If there's one thing I've learned in a thousand years of living… It's that the worse thing you can do to yourself is to live in denial. You gotta accept things as they are…"

Flanella's crying ringed in his ears as Finn clutched her close to his chest. "But… I gotta believe in FP too…" he replied, rocking the baby softly.

"Isn't there any way we could find an answer?" the magical dog whispered, breaking the tension between the queen and the hero.

"Take her to Bonnie." Marceline suggested. "I bet she can tell."

"No way!"

The young man embraced the child protectively, holding her away from the vampire. "PB would do weird stuff to her, she could hurt Flanella! I promised Flame Princess I'd take care of her daughter."

"Fine, have it your way! If you don't want to know the truth, then why suffer about it? I can't hear you weep all night long!" then she muttered to herself, "_If ya wanna get three feet up a dragon's butt, listen to what sweethearts whisper to each other: promises and nonsense…_! _Can't believe I used to be like that!_"

The Vampire Queen pushed the window open; ready to glide into the dark skies.

Jake noticed this and hurried to her side. "W-wait, Marcy! Where are you going?"

"Anywhere but here, I can't waste my time babysitting knuckleheads!" she turned to Finn and rolled her eyes, "Good luck with that, Romeo!"

The golden bulldog proceeded to close the window after Marceline left. It was indeed a cold night. At least the arguing was over now, and the silence reigned all over the adventurers' home once again. Not even the baby's crying was echoing on the walls. Finn had left the room.

Jake sighed as he sat down back on the couch, back to his cup of tea.

Upstairs in his bedroom, the young man found himself cradling the tiny fire elemental in his arms. She slowly turned her crying into weak sobs as the golden of her eyes faded back to sleep. Although it hurt to admit it, Marceline was right. If he didn't want to know the truth, then why suffer for it? He should be more concerned about Flame Princess now. Would she be safe there? Would her soldiers know how to defend her from danger? Would she come back to him, safe and sound?

The worst scenery he could think of flashed across his mind. What if Flanella were to lose her mother as well? No. Flame Princess was strong enough to find her way out of battle. Finn trusted she wouldn't risk her life if it weren't necessary.

"It will be fine, Flanella…" he whispered, repeating the same for himself. "Your mom will be alright."

"Oh! A baby!" Beemo's voice cheered at Finn's side, "That's a cute baby you've got there, Finn! Will she stay for the night here?"

The human smiled at the video game console, which seemed to be the first person happy to meet Flanella; instead of just jumping away in disconcertment like everyone else —including himself— did at her sight.

"Yeah, I'm taking care of her for a while."

"Yay! Baby!" Beemo exclaimed, clapping in excitement.

"Hush, BMO…! We don't wanna wake her up again…!" Finn chuckled, patting the robot's head. "You know what would be awesome?"

"What Finn?"

The human lay down Flame Princess' girl on one of the many fluffy pelts that covered his bed. A long complicated day had at last come to an end, and as Finn changed his formal attires for a pair of comfortable pajama pants and an old shirt, it seemed like a miracle to finally be at home.

"Would you play that song I used to love when I was three?"

Beemo agreed enthusiastically, for it loved that song as well. The soothing chords of the lullaby soon filled the silence of the night. Exhausted as he was, Finn gratefully laid his head down, feeling how his new baby friend snuggled by his shoulder. Her sleepy face lay right in front of his half-open eyes. He could only wonder who she really was… What did she mean to him?

Even if he wasn't responsible for that child being born, would it be right to think of her as a daughter? Finn drifted into sleep, clinging onto her tiny pudgy hand. If only Flame Princess could be there as well. If only she could spend that night with him.

Would she answer that question for him?

When Jake arrived and found the tender scene before him, the old dog grinned and blew off the candlelight. Poor Finn, how come that fire girl could still mess him up like that? He laughed then, acknowledging it was his fault that Finn and Flame Princess had met in the first place.

"It seems it's your turn to be a dad, huh?" Jake yawned, "You have no idea how lucky you are."

**x~x~x~x~x**

How come she was alone again? Flame Princess asked herself as she rested in her tent. Her brother insisted on sending her to bed after she failed to make Torcho speak. Her own soldiers were now pressuring her to consent torture as a last desperate alternative, but she simply couldn't allow it.

Tomorrow maybe, when the night gives way to the day, perhaps it would all be different. Perhaps she wouldn't feel so guilty about all the separate paths her life had taken. It might be that, with a new dawn, she would stop blaming herself for Cinnamon Bun's fate, and for leaving her fragile baby behind.

Maybe tomorrow she would forgive herself for not telling Finn the truth when she had the chance. To think that, even if she was against torture, she had dared to abandon that poor young man at the feet of uncertainty. If he did love her as he claimed, then the mystery she left unsolved must be tormenting him through the night.

It was past midnight now, and yet she couldn't conceive a single dream that would let her rest. Ten minutes with him had been more than enough to scare her nightmares away that afternoon. How much she had missed him... If she asked for ten minutes more, would Glob listen and bring her wish to life? Just ten more minutes in his arms after eight years of separation, would that be too much to ask?

She tossed and turned, struggling to keep her eyes closed. The heat of the battle awaited her in the morn, and more sleepless nights were yet to come.

And all she wished for were ten more minutes by his side.

"If only you could spend this night with me, Finn…"

Perhaps she didn't deserve him after all.


	4. Act IV: Queen of Swords

_**Flanella**_

–_**Minor Arcana–**_

* * *

_**Act IV: Queen of Swords**_

* * *

"_She extends her hand, perhaps to reach for another; but she also holds her sword firmly before her, perhaps as a warning, a self-protection or a test for another.__She is familiar with sorrow. Her crown is made up of butterflies, showing the freedom of her thought and her active intellect." _

–**Tarot, Minor Arcana**

A heavy hand shook her out of her scarcely cathartic sleep. It wasn't a rude awakening, but it sure wasn't expected, and a soft groan from the young king was a proof of it. Flame Princess rose from her bed, noticing her tangled blankets on the ground. Sitting up, she met her brother's anxious eyes. What could have happened while she was struggling between dreams and reality?

The strong-built elemental before her seemed to be in a hurry, yet upon glancing at his sister's pale face, he chose to spare a moment to sit by her side. Her golden eyes followed his glowing hand as it brushed away her red fiery locks and stopped to rest at her sweated forehead. Her sibling was worried she might be suffering from a fever, which even for a fire elemental meant a drastic change in temperature, ravings, and aching bones.

To his relief, Flame Princess' body heat was normal. She just had a hard night, evidenced by the trail of dry tears that ran down her cheeks. The young woman let her older sibling attend her discomfort, gently cleaning her face with his handkerchief to later help her get dressed in her royal attires.

She finished combing the wild flames of her hair, letting them fall free by her waistline. Staring at her reflection, now wearing the dark armor and the imposing expression of the King of Flames in her visage, only a small detail struck her as missing. The image of her brother appeared behind her in the mirror then, crowning her head with the blazing tiara.

The siblings smiled at their reflection. A King and a Prince were staring back at them, with the same prideful smirk and confident eyes, a physical trait that ran in the family apparently. The taller elemental laid his hand to rest on his sister's shoulder, symbol of his respect and loyalty towards her. Like in an antique family portrait never immortalized by the skilled strokes of an artist, it all fell back into place.

"I understand, it feels like your life is shattering into pieces with this new threat, attempting to seize your kingdom, the death of your right-hand-man, and the distance separating you from your daughter…" her brother said, "Chin up, sister. It'll all be fine, we might still have a chance to succeed."

Flame Princess waited in silence for him to continue.

"I am willing to let you cross words with Torcho one last time," he explained, "It appears your small talk had some effect on him after all, so I'll grant him this chance before we proceed to punch the information we need out of his mouth. What do you say, are you up to the task?"

The female king sighed, "Get me some tea first and we'll see."

Her brother laughed.

Outside of the crimson tent the west plains of the Fire Kingdom were just starting to be reignited by the blossoming sun rays, rising in the horizon. The grey smoke of multiple dead campfires guided her way as she advanced towards their prisoner's confinement. A cold breeze could still be felt in the air, even at the break of dawn. It wasn't strange for the fiery wasteland to drop its temperature at night. In fact, it was possible to find vestiges of frost in those places situated farther away from the heart of the kingdom.

Flame Princess took a mental note of her observation, yes there were melting puddles everywhere, it could help her figure out how Furnius managed to use ice against her men during the last battle. Although she hoped Torcho would help her with that instead.

She took a deep breath before stepping into the bunker where her soldiers held her younger cousin prisoner. The traitorous fire elemental was contained within his cell with the help of sturdy iron chains, which tied him onto the wall. The flames of the two silent elementals, which continued to frown at each other, were the only source of the scarce illumination in that enclosed area.

The young king spoke first.

"Torcho, I understand we don't exactly cherish our childhood memories together but… that doesn't mean we don't share the same blood that runs through our veins. I said it last night and I'll say it again; why must we fight our fathers' war?"

The dethroned prince lowered his glance. "That's easy for you to say. You weren't even born when our battle began!" he paused for a moment and then stared back at her, "Which makes me think… You don't really have anything to do with this…"

"Yet?" Flame Princess urged him to finish.

"Yet you still dare to wear our father's crown!"

"Yes, I admit it. I'm the real usurper here." Her confession brought a gasp to Torcho's lips. "I overthrew my father and took the throne by force, but as sons of the original Flame King, you and especially Furnius—being the first-born, are the true and rightful heirs to the crown."

She smiled, although her glance gave the impression of solemnness.

"However, I was born a Princess too, and as a member of the fire royalty I also worry about the future of our kingdom and the well-being of its people. All these years I've done nothing but to devote my heart and soul to change the wrong impression that the other kingdoms have developed against us. I've given my all to cleanse the hate and the fear, to end with the evil reputation of our race. The Fire Kingdom has never been as prosperous as it is now. We are at peace; free from the lies that once concealed our true nature."

"Torcho, I will not allow this flourishing era to end. It is your brother's doing what has forced me to engage us in battle. His heart has been poisoned with too much hatred, greed, and thirst for revenge…" Flame Princess averted her eyes from the prince's, "In that sense, he's just like my father used to be…"

Her cousin exhaled heavily, tensing his flaming features. "And what do think of my heart, your Highness? Do you really believe it is so poisoned as well as to turn it against its own brother? Didn't I make it clear last night? I will not be your pawn in this game! I'm not anyone's pawn!"

"You're wrong." The young king declared, stepping forward. "You've been Furnius' pawn all of your life! Doesn't it bother you to live under his shadow, when there's more to you than this? For once in your life Torcho, you must dare to think as the noble prince that you truly are!"

"Noble prince?" he scoffed, amused by her ingeniousness, "Foolish girl! What makes you think I'm any different than my brother is?"

"Well, for starters…" she began, a melancholic look in her eyes. "I don't remember ever being mocked by you when I was trapped in the lantern…"

Torcho tried to rebuke that statement, but he found himself stumbling upon his own words.

"I was only four and it was raining outside. Everyone had to take refuge in the castle, and Furnius and you sneaked into the throne room while my father was busy attending the emergency. I stared at the two of you, playing fencing with toy swords. You were the first one to notice me above. I waved at you and you did the same, earning a strike from your brother's sword because I distracted you.

Then you pointed at me with the enthusiasm of an adventurer that had just discovered a hidden treasure. I remember I smiled, thinking I'd have friends for the first time in my life. But then Furnius dragged you upstairs, and brought you before me. He began to make fun of me and I couldn't understand why. He even pressed you to do the same, yet you refused.

I'll never forget the way in which you stared at me while Furnius continued to laugh, there was compassion and of course, pity in your eyes… But mostly compassion."

Torcho gritted his teeth, refusing to admit it at first. He began to knock his head against the wall, hoping to erase the memory but his actions were futile. Finally, he gave up.

"Furnius said I was pathetic. He always humiliates me…" the prince confessed.

"Is that how you wish to spend the rest of your life, Torcho?" Flame Princess asked, "Tell me, if I gave you the chance to start anew, would you take it?"

"Turning me against my brother… What do you expect to gain out of that?"

"I'm not turning you against your brother. I'm asking you to help me fix up the mess that our fathers provoked in the past, so that we can create a better future! Torcho, if only I could trust you… I know there's goodness inside you, just like in any other fire elemental. Only you can put an end to Furnius' fury!"

Flame Princess insisted, urging him to open his eyes to the truth.

"Furnius' heart has long ago been tarnished by evil, but yours is still pure. Redeem yourself, Torcho, and I will not only set you free from this prison, but I will also relinquish the crown to its rightful King… You!"

The prince stared back at her wide-eyed. How could she promise such thing? Why would a fire elemental ever wish to give up the throne, to give up the power over its entire race? How could she be so convinced that there was kindness hidden within him?

"W-what do you mean? Why this desperate move? Why would you ever—? Flame Princess you must be insane!"

The young ruler laughed, grinning warmly. "No, I'm not. I thought it over a million times last night while I couldn't conceive sleep… I'm just playing my last card, Torcho. I've done the unthinkable to protect my place in the throne in the past, but I never did it out of power lust. I did it for our people."

"You can't expect me to be a benevolent king, cousin…" Torcho sighed, "You can't prove I'm not evil…"

"You are right," she replied, moving closer to him. "I can't. You must prove yourself worthy, Torcho… and I'm willing to grant you the chance to do so."

The prince couldn't believe Flame Princess was actually unlocking the padlocks that held him prisoner. She meant each and every one of her words.

"Help me to defeat Furnius, Torcho, and by the end of this war the Fire Kingdom will have its true king back."

"But if I accept to take this test, what will you win out of it? It seems to me that you'll only lose everything you posses."

"If you succeed, then I'll be free to live my life the way I've always wanted it." the young woman explained as she detached the last shackle on Torcho's wrist. "I don't expect you to understand this, but when you live most of your life locked up, you develop simple dreams. It may seem dumb to you, but all I want is to go back to my daughter and spend the rest of my life away from the turmoil of the palace. Perhaps… I might even be free to settle down with the man I love…"

"It isn't dumb." Torcho uttered, however drily he seemed to mean what he said.

Flame Princess nodded in reply, blushing.

The two royals headed to the outside world afterwards. Once away from the darkness, the fire soldiers and their general —Flame Princess' brother— received both her and Torcho, ready to act if anything suspicious were to happen.

They had all been waiting anxiously for the aftermath of their king's chat with the war prisoner. Flame Princess' idea was far too risky, even naïve, and foolish in the eyes of her military forces. But her sibling was determined to trust in her, no matter how reckless her decisions could seem. She had proven to be wise in many other occasions, so questioning her authority was not an option.

However, should Torcho break his pact, he'd be the first one to make him suffer the consequences of it. One single sign of treason against his little sister, and his head would roll.

"Hold on a sec!" the female king exclaimed all of a sudden.

Before her cousin could make another step, the fiery girl walked in front of him and knelt at his feet. The entire army let out a gasp of astonishment, how come the King of the Fire Kingdom could dare to humiliate her pride to a traitor like that? It was something unprecedented.

Torcho himself was left speechless as Flame Princess carefully tied his shoelaces, crafting a tight knot that wouldn't come off, no matter how fast he'd run.

"There…" the young woman smiled, returning to her standing position. "Now you can walk among us and never fear a fall…"

"T-the truth is…" he stuttered, embarrassed. "I never learned to tie my shoes…"

"Then I'll teach you." She assured, giving a gentle pat to his shoulder. "We are family after all…"

**x~x~x~x~x**

Back at the Tree Fort, escaping from the early morning rays, the silhouette of the Vampire Queen could be spotted on the rooftop. Marceline opened an entrance with her claws, slashing off the tree's foliage and slipping in afterwards. With a paper bag in her hands and a neutral look in her face, the undead woman proceeded to search for her friends.

She floated by the bedroom, the living room, and the kitchen. Seeing that there was no sign of the adventurers, the vampire landed and shouted.

"Hello? Finn, Jake! It's me, Marceline!"

No one replied, causing her to grow impatient.

"Oh c'mon now, guys! I know I was a bit of a butt last night, but you don't have to hide away from me!" she lifted the paper bag over her head, swinging it around to call their attention. "I came to apologize! Here, I brought a special peace offer! See? I went through the trouble of cooking these myself, and I don't usually do that for anybody! You better appreciate it!"

Again, there was no response from the heroic duo.

"Don't ignore me! Finn, I made some for Flanella too! How about if we bury the hatchet and have breakfast together? If you don't answer in five seconds, I'm gonna eat it all! I'm serious, guys!"

She suddenly felt a pair of small hands, tugging her jeans. Surprised, Marceline looked down to find a smiling Beemo, staring at her. The vampire blinked, confused.

"Finn and Jake are in the bathroom!"

"At the same time?" she questioned, slightly alarmed.

"Yeah, and the baby is with them too! It's been hours since they got in there, I think they are trying to change her diapers!" the Mo put his finger beneath its mouth, "But now that I think about it… Is that supposed to take so long?"

The Vampire Queen rubbed a hand all over her face, frustrated.

"No, it isn't." she sighed as she handed Beemo the paper bag, "I better check what are those donks doing to that poor baby!"

As she approached the bathroom multiple muffled sounds of falling objects, water running, chuckles and impatient groans, could be heard coming from behind the wooden door. Marceline carefully twisted the knob, fearing that she'd soon be facing one of Finn and Jake's distinguished messes.

A big cloud of baby powder exploded in her face as soon as she walked in, tingeing her black tank top of white in no less than two seconds.

Waving the perfumed dust away from her, and coughing the rest out of her lungs, the vampire was finally allowed to peek at the prevailing disaster that ruled the adventurers' bath. The toilet paper was all over the flooded floor, caused by either the dog or the human leaving the sink open. The shower curtains were being charred away by a couple of tiny flames that climbed up them with no restriction whatsoever. Puffs of smoke stained the ceiling, and all of Jake's make up had been tossed into the toilet.

It was like staring at the Nightosphere contained in a bathroom.

"What the flameo happened here?" the undead queen exclaimed, overwhelmed by the unleashed chaos that surrounded her. Just how could changing a diaper end so badly?

None of the two brothers relented a second of their arguing to reply to the vampire's exclamation.

"I thought you were good at this stuff, Jake!" Finn yelled, shaking the dog's shoulders in exasperation. "You are Jake the Dad!"

"Well excuse me! It ain't my fault rainicorn puppies become self-sufficient before they even get the need to change their diapers!"

The human released his brother to clasp his face in exhaustion. How come he had believed that Jake would know how to control that kind of situation? Marceline smacked her forehead. Thank goodness she arrived just in time to stop the situation from getting any worse.

The Vampire Queen approached the two fatigued wannabe fathers, and pushed them apart to work with the baby herself. Flanella, completely oblivious of her caretakers' frustration, dedicated her time to clutch her toes with her little fingers as she rolled on her back from one side to the other. The fact that her bottom half was totally exposed to the elements didn't seem to bother her at all, that was the most amusing activity she had ever done in her short life.

"Where's the new diaper?" Marceline demanded.

Finn extended his hand at her; the sticky tabs of the nappy were stuck on his fingers. With a hearty guffaw the vampire snatched it from the embarrassed hero and while holding Flanella's legs, she lifted her up and shoved the diaper beneath her. Jake stretched his paw to reach the powder bottle from the floor and passed it to Marceline, who shook its content on the baby's rear and then proceeded to secure the diaper around her body.

In a moment the impossible task was done. Meanwhile, Finn and Jake were busy, picking up their jaws from the ground.

"There, there, it wasn't that hard, huh?" the undead queen laughed, holding Flanella in her arms.

"W-where did you learn to do that, Marcy?" the magical dog asked.

"Oh… Well, a long time ago I used to help Bonnie with the kids at the Candy Orphanage. No big deal…" she shrugged.

The young man gave a relieved sigh; glad the diaper ordeal was finally over. Of course, all they needed was a pinch of girl power and presto! Marceline noticed him smiling and with a grin of herself, she handed over the little rascal to him.

"You know Finn, she's actually not that bad. I mean, she's kinda cute!" the queen admitted, "I especially love her eyes, they're blue and shiny just like…. yours…?!"

At this the trio turned their attention to the baby girl on Finn's arms. None of them could believe what they were seeing, last night Flanella's eyes were golden like Flame Princess' and now they were gleaming blue as Finn's? Perplexed, the two males turned to the thousand year-old woman in search of an answer.

"Don't stare at me like that!" she complained, "I've got no idea, alright! Perhaps it's just a normal thing… I've heard of babies that change their hair and eye color some weeks after they're born."

"Okay. That's a reasonable explanation!" the hero nervously gulped. "Her eyes turned blue like mine, so what? It's normal, right? Just a simple casualty!"

Jake elbowed him, concerned. "Um… Dude…"

Running his fingers through Flanella's fiery hair, the young man discovered some golden strands that were starting to fuse with the red of her short locks. They formed blond dashes mixed in the rouge of her flaring hair, which reminded them of Finn's own wild locks; a strange, yet marvelous combination that any fire elemental would certainly envy.

"Finn, what the heck did you do to that baby?" the golden bulldog gasped, frowning at his brother in suspicion.

"N-nothing! I swear!"

"Hey!" Marceline called, holding her stomach tightly. "What if we get outta here and discuss this over breakfast? My stomach is makin' the rumblies… C'mon, I brought strawberry pancakes!"

"Yeah… Maybe we've started to see weird things out of hunger…" Jake agreed, following the vampire into the kitchen.

Certain that hunger had nothing to do with the change in Flame Princess' daughter, Finn stayed behind, taking a better look of the baby. What kind of magic had acted upon her? Could this be another one of Magic Man's pranks? No, the young man would have detected that patoot before he even dared to lay a finger on Flanella.

The little girl tugged his shirt, blowing out at spittle in content. The young man didn't mind the small stain on his shirt and gently moved Flanella's hands away so that he could clean it. Still, Finn couldn't help but to wonder what had happened. What secrets was Flame Princess hiding from him?

"_FP… What's the meaning of this?" _

* * *

**_Author's Notes:_**

**_Thank you all very much for sharing your opinions about the story with me! I really appreciate it! We have now entered the second arc of this fic. Because it's supposed to be a short story, each arc is composed of three chapters and I have planned to write three arcs in total. Hope you enjoyed this chapter, I'll see you soon with more!_**


	5. Act V: Inverted Page of Swords

_**Flanella**_

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_**Act V: Inverted Page of Swords**_

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"_A person who is timid and cowardly. One who allows the opinions of others to interfere with their own ambition. He has a tendency to invade other people's privacy, and use their secrets to work ruin against them. He symbolizes the fear that causes plans to crumble." _

–**Tarot, Minor Arcana**

Rather than helping the distressed human, Jake the Dog focused only on shoving as many pancakes into his maw as he could. Having a full mouth was the best excuse he had to keep his questions and theories regarding to Flanella's birth away from Finn. Not that the old dog could imply anything that would embarrass his little brother or force him to confess something that he didn't want to hear.

The truth of the matter, and perhaps it was time for the magical canine to accept it, was that his little hero had grown into a young man in the last few years. For all he knew, Finn could have already read every volume of his Jay. T. Dawgzone secret collection, and for every volume he meant **every** volume! And if that was the case —and he prayed Glob it wasn't— his human brother may have already expanded his horizons to the forbidden territories that neared the infamous tier number fifteen.

Jake swallowed the ten pancakes he had in his mouth at this unnerving thought, and pushed another ten in afterwards. The disgusted stares of Finn and Marceline didn't stop him from repeating the action every five minutes though. They hadn't touched their breakfast at all. Not even the vampire, who a while ago had admitted to be hungry, while Finn remained silent the entire time, consternated and confused.

It made the dog even more nervous to watch his friends lost in their own thoughts while he anxiously stuffed himself with everything on the table. Finn's attention was only centered on the baby that he had suddenly grown so attached to. Wasn't that enough to make Jake suspicious? Of course it was! What regrets could his bro be trying to redeem with his suddenly developed paternal instincts?

The dog smacked himself all of a sudden, as if his fist had acted by its own will.

Holy Grod, he felt like LSP, making insidious assumptions out of his brother's issues without the proper proofs. Feeding the pyres of suspicion to stoke up the fires of dirty gossiping, that was what he was doing! How stupid it had been of him to doubt of Finn's righteousness! His bro would never dare to touch a lady, not without his consent of course.

_Better leave those thoughts out of the way…_ Jake thought, _if Finn says he doesn't know how it happened then I must believe him! _

"Finn," Marceline's stern voice broke the silence, invading Jake's pondering. "Are you sure you and Flame Princess never met in the last eight years? What I mean is… You two didn't have some sort of secret intimate meetings in the last months, did you?"

The old bulldog choked at the mention of the question he never dared to ask. Coughing like if his life depended on it (and it pretty much did), Jake punched his chest desperately, trying to get the stuck strawberry pancakes out of his throat. Marceline slammed his back then, forcing him to spit the ten chewed hotcakes on the floor.

"I am not cleaning that!" she shouted after saving the dog's life.

"Man, are you alright?"

A whole lot more concerned about the golden canine than the vampire, Finn passed him a glass of milk and patted his aching back to ease the coughing. Flanella watched everything with great attention and curiosity, never having experienced such a loud commotion before.

"Yeah… I think so…" Jake breathed, "Thanks for saving me from a one way ticket ride on the death bus, Marcy…"

"Don't even mention it. Didn't your mother tell you to eat only in small portions?"

"She might have suggested it once, yes…"

Rolling her eyes, the Vampire Queen turned to the young man. "You haven't answered my question yet."

Jake grew tense once again, his fur frizzing up.

"Get real, Marceline…" Finn sharply replied.

The look of sincere worry the hero had only moments ago, faded into one of deep affliction and irritation.

"Cinnamon Bun was extremely clear when he told me to stay away from FP, and she was serious about it as well. Besides… Even if we had wanted to, her elemental matrix would have made it impossible, remember?"

Marceline had certainly touched a quite sensitive subject for the human, but even if it was like pushing a finger in the most painful and old of his emotional wounds, the question had to be asked to discard any loose possibilities. For the stretchy dog it was like music to his ears, although the "_Even if we had wanted to…" _part implied something that he chose to ignore for now.

"It's no use!" Finn abandoned his chair, a frown still marking his features. "Leave it guys, I'll just wait for FP's return…"

"As you wish…" came the queen's earnest reply.

The baby in his arms let out a soft whimper. Even for an infant, it wasn't hard to sense that something was wrong with those closest to her, and the scowl that seized the face of the man she now thought of as "daddy" could only make her grow uneasy. Finn noticed the fear in the child's eyes and forced himself to get over his own discomfort to soothe Flanella's. None of this could ever be her fault, although she was indeed the cause of the hero's distress.

"Hush now, I ain't mad at you…" He whispered gently, lifting her up to make her look down at him, "How could I get mad at you, when you're the cutest little thing that has ever happened to me!"

The young man began to spin around the kitchen, waving the baby in the air as the two giggled at each other's faces. Finn's usual happy-go-lucky mood was slowly coming back to him. Jake watched them with a wide grin and even the Vampire Queen had trouble to keep her own sweet smile hidden.

A knock on the door silenced the cheer in the room.

Surprised, the tree adults gazed at each other, hoping someone would know who the unexpected visitor was. It couldn't be Flame Princess, and Finn was pretty sure of that. Perhaps the Ice King, or maybe Princess Bubblegum? Since he was already on his feet, the human went downstairs to finally find out who was at the door.

A smile was drawn upon his face at the moment he eyed the curious character before him.

"Root Beer Guy! How's life goin', officer?"

"Oh it's going great, Mr. Finn. Not to be rude, but this isn't a friendly visit." He apologized, "I'm on a case. Do you mind if I ask you and your brother a few questions?"

"Yeah, I mean no!" Flanella was slipping out of his arms and he managed to catch her before she fell, "Um… C-come in."

The Captain motioned for Finn to lean down so that he could get a better glance of the girl in his embrace.

"Hi there cute baby! Is she yours?"

"No… I mean yes! I mean no!" the young man blushed, embarrassed.

Root Beer Guy laughed at Finn's reaction. "Yeah, yeah. Confusing, isn't it? I felt just like you when Cherry and I had our first son two years ago!" he gave a friendly pat to the human, "Don't worry, soon you'll assimilate the whole thing!"

Finn sighed, choosing to let the officer believe whatever he wanted instead of trying to correct him again. The detective arrived to the kitchen in a few minutes, followed by the hero. Jake and Marceline stared expectantly at both.

"Good morning, Mr. Jake!" the candy person made a small gesture with his hat as he turned to face the Vampire Queen. "Ma'am?"

"What's up, RBG?" Jake inquired, arching an eyebrow.

"I'll go straight to the point, fellas. I was requested by Princess Bubblegum herself to ask you for your help. Apparently, someone has been sneaking into the princess' lab and has stolen something of great importance!"

"Surely this won't end up like the last time we used our detective skills, will it?"

"No, Mr. Jake. This time Miss LSP isn't involved in the case." The police officer assured.

"Then count me in!" the dog exclaimed, receiving a nod from Marceline. "Whacha say Finn? Wanna go chase down some thieves and throw them into jail like in the old days?"

Finn glanced at Flanella and then at his brother. "Nah… You two have fun. Somebody's gotta take care of Flanella after all."

"Ah c'mon, Finn! Take her with you! Nothing bad is gonna happen to her, it'll be fun!" Marceline insisted.

"I don't know…"

Jake stretched to the human's side, embracing his shoulders. "Dude, the Candy Kingdom is like a paradise for children! It's perfectly safe and she'll get to see new places, and enjoy the world! You can't keep her locked like FK did with her mother! I'm sure Flame Princess thinks the same!"

"Well…" Finn was still unsure, "Maybe a few hours won't be so bad…"

"Whoohoo! Detectives Finn & Jake are back in action, Captain!"

As Jake ran around the house, exclaiming how happy he was for getting the chance to shape-shift into detective stuff again, Marceline noticed that his human brother had vanished from view. With a chuckle, she turned her eyes upwards, to where the muffled giggles of the baby came from. Sighing, the vampire floated up the ladder and there in the bedroom, she found the young man, feeding the little girl.

Finn was lost in a trance, as if he could still feel Flame Princess' hands holding his as she explained him how to nurse her child. When her fiery presence irradiated his rosy cheeks, making him wish she would surround him with her arms, not for a moment but for a whole night, a whole lifetime.

Marceline remained at the threshold, watching them in silence. When it came to understand human emotions, no one else in Ooo could rival the vampire's perception. She was half-human, or at least she used to, before her encounter with the Vampire King. Nevertheless, it was clear that Flanella acted like a bond to Finn —perhaps the last one he had— with the princess of flames.

That the child had developed similar physical traits to his own increased the hero's need of listening to the truth, spoken straight from Flame Princess' lips. Otherwise the poor man would continue to aggravate himself, fantasizing with encounters that never happened and dreams that might never take flight. Did Flame Princess intended for something like this to happen? Why would her daughter share a resemblance with Finn if he had nothing to do with her conception?

For his sake, the undead queen sliced the silence, forcing the human out of his trance. "Say, if you love her so much, then what are you doing here?"

The confusion in Finn's eyes caused her to explain herself further.

"I'm talking about Flame Princess. What are you doing here, worrying about her to no end, when you could be fighting by her side?"

"I stayed because she asked me to do so." The young man whispered, "I must take care of Flanella."

Marceline crossed her arms. "The Finn I know would have gone after her anyways. What if she never comes back? Cinnamon Bun isn't there to save her anymore, and no matter how strong or powerful she is, the risk of dying is always a possibility."

"Are you suggesting that I should just leave Flanella here and rush to FP's side?" he replied, offended. "Marcy I can't—!"

"Let the wild rocker girl watch over the fire elemental baby! Doesn't that sound like a responsible idea? Look, the way I see things you can either; dash to battle, prove your sweetheart that you aren't a dweeb anymore, bring her home, swallow up the truth no matter how sweet or bitter it can be, and start a happy life… or you can just stay here, playing house like a nerd!"

The Vampire Queen smirked, "So what will it be?"

Finn shifted anxiously, pulling the now sleepy Flanella against his chest. No, he didn't want to leave her. The human felt that no one could foster the baby in the same way he did, that she shouldn't stay with anyone but him. It was a sense of belonging that had only been strengthened by the discovery of the similar traits they both shared. Even if he had no way to explain how, he felt that Flanella was his child.

Flame Princess had given her to him, trusting her daughter to the only person she considered reliable. Before departing to the west plains, she admitted that he was the only man she had ever loved. If that didn't mean that a part of her belonged to him now, then what could it mean?

It was Flanella, that part of herself, that extension of her persona. Mother and daughter had the same mischievous smile he couldn't live without, the same stare that cried out for the understanding that the world had denied them.

It was Finn's duty to be there for her, for the two of them; even when being with one meant being apart from the other. Their separation wouldn't last long; he would be the one to bring them together. He would fix that, which once was broken. Child of another or not, it didn't matter. He loved them both.

"If you swear you'll take absolute care of Flanella, maybe I could…"

"Have I ever failed you before, weenie?" Marceline walked over to him, gently cradling the baby in her arms. "Let me hold this burden for you. Go get your princess back!"

Finn sprung off his bed, his body trembling with a furor of emotions he could no longer contain. He trapped the vampire girl in a tight embrace. The eager beating of his mortal heart, pulsated against her inert dead one, as if it could bring life back to hers, even if it was for just a second.

"Alright, alright…" Marceline said, pushing him apart. "Save some love for your crush, you ding-dong!"

"Thank you, Marcy…" Finn uttered, in a tough struggle to keep his grateful tears from coming. "You truly are my best friend in the world!"

Before she could reply, her vampire eyes spotted an unusual sight by the window, behind the human. Every muscle in her body grew stiff, her instincts forcing her to transform. A silent creature was staring at them, its soft blue eyes perpetually fixed on the elemental child in her arms. Two long rabbit-like ears hung down its head, its feathers black as the darkest of nights.

Marceline managed to control the feral impulses stirring within her, although she couldn't avoid letting out a constant hissing and growling, while her bare fangs warned Finn of the intruder behind him. He turned to glance at the window, but all he glimpsed was the figure of a small crow. The bird shrieked and spread its wings to fly away, nothing out of the ordinary.

"What was that all about?" the human asked, surprised by his friend's strange behavior.

The young black-haired woman relaxed, placing a hand on her forehead.

"It's just… I thought I saw…" she groaned, "Never mind. It must be my lack of breakfast. I better get myself some red, and you better get out of here before Jake finds out about our plan!"

Convinced by Marceline's confident grin, Finn offered her a smile and climbed out the window, but not before running back to plant a kiss on Flanella's forehead. He was going to miss that tiny baby, however the Fire Kingdom was now waiting for him in the distance, holding the promise of his desired re-encounter with Flame Princess, the only girl who's kiss had been burned into his brain.

The Vampire Queen's grin faded as soon as the human left the room. She sent a worried glance to Flanella and then back to the window, wondering about the vision she had earlier.

"Could that be… Maja's Crabbit?"

**x~x~x~x~x**

The ever-growing expression of mistrust in her brother's features wasn't a good sign. Of course he wouldn't authorize her plan, not because it wasn't an efficient one, but because of the partner that she had chosen to carry out that mission. It was just a scouting expedition, if done with caution, there shouldn't be risks to fear. Flame Princess knew it and so did her brother, but letting her go solo with Torcho to the enemy's territory… No, he couldn't allow it.

"Hey, I know you don't like this at all…" his sister commented, "But Torcho is the only one who can take us to Furnius' hideout. I might even find out who his allies are, and how are they getting all that ice into the Fire Kingdom!"

To know what sort of traitors could line up with Furnius to attack their own king was one of the many mysteries the fiery general was dying to solve, yet it wasn't worth endangering his sister's life. Rubbing his chin deep in thought, her sibling exhaled one final question.

"And you must be the one to do it? Can't I send some other soldier, or go in your place? We can't jeopardize the life of our king like this!"

"The fastest way to get there is flying, and since it would be too easy spot a fire elemental whizzing across the sky, Jake 2 is our best option." The young king caressed her brother's hand, whispering. "We both know that wolf won't listen to anyone except for Cinnamon Bun …and me…"

The General sighed, slamming his hands on the table. "What if something goes wrong?"

Flame Princess smirked. "C'mon, I'm the strongest fire elemental ever born! Nothing's gonna happen to me!"

"I don't care! Your powers have been disabled in the past, what makes you think it won't happen again?"

"Nothing." She silently replied, "But I must go… and trust my life to Torcho… It's the only way."

Her sibling lowered his head, letting go of Flame Princess' hand. To continue arguing would be useless, no one could command her. She was the owner of her will, indomitable like wildfire.

Watching her depart on her giant fire wolf with Torcho filled the responsible old brother with anguish. If he couldn't keep an eye on his sister, someone else would have to do it. Hence, he freed Kokko —his fire hawk— and sent it into the ashen skies. Its duty would be to protect Flame Princess during her journey. If anything were to happen to her, Kokko's flares would let him know.

It didn't bother the young king to notice the iron colored bird flying above Jake 2. Instead, she smiled at the glimpse of the shiny feathers of its golden tail and wings. It let her know her brother was there to protect her.

Prince Torcho on the other hand seemed rather nervous, his distress growing because of Kokko's presence. The fire eagle was also known as the eye in the sky, a witness to all that happened in the world, every gesture of charity and every sin. Frustrated, the prince asked himself if that fiery hawk was the same one from the old legends. The spirit animal that served the members of the royal family or at least, those it considered worth of its care.

He gulped as he felt the sweat running down his forehead.

"First time traveling on a fire wolf?" Flame Princess' voice asked.

"Yeah…"

"Don't worry, Jake 2's flight isn't turbulent. You'll soon find that a fire wolf can be as graceful in the air as Kokko here!"

Torcho eyed the severe eagle in a shy manner. "I-is that Kokko th-the real deal?"

The female king turned to look at her cousin with a playful grin. "Maybe! Who knows?" she shrugged.

The fire prince couldn't help to feel judged by the bird. He grew anxious, uncomfortable. Why was this happening to him? If only there was a way to get rid of that hawk or at least keep it away from his business until it all was over.

And as if his prayers had been answered, a larger bird cut through the air, tackling Kokko with a swift movement. This one was black, with a long protuberant beak. The fiery eagle appeared seconds later, shrieking with fury at the crow-like creature flying ahead of him.

Flame Princess noticed the commotion as well, frowning with worry at her brother's familiar. She was about to order Jake 2 to ascend and stop the birds from attacking each other, but Torcho's hand fell on her shoulder, inducing her to change her mind.

"Let those animals be. We can't bother with trifles of the sort, c'mon! If we're still wandering around this area by sun set, the low temperatures will make us an easy target! We gotta hurry!"

The young woman sighed in resignation, forcing the flying wolf to speed up.

"I guess you are right, Torcho… You are right…"

Kokko and the black crow fought relentlessly, spinning and turning in a violent aerial combat with no end. Sadly for the royal firebird, as soon as the crow managed to drive him into a strange-looking cloud, its enemy morphed into a humanoid being. They were no longer in the deserted plains of the Fire Kingdom. In their struggle, the two birds had entered a new dimension, one that resembled an old wrecked mansion.

Noticing the sudden change of environment, Kokko attempted to escape, only to be crushed onto the ground by the giant fist of the dark being before him. Once his job was done, a pair of rabbit ears sprung out of its head and the creature let out a deep sigh.

"It's done, mistress… This part of the dirty job at least…"

"_So, it seems the second card has finally come to play its role_," a smirk slashed her lips open, "_Under_ _normal conditions, the Page wouldn't serve as a threat, but since it appeared in its inverted position, well… our poor Queen of Swords will soon experiment the taste of betrayal by the hand of her own Page!_"

Her demented laughter filled the room, causing her servant to cover its ears in annoyance.

"B-but, mistress…" the crabbit creature warned, "What if the Knight—?"

"_Shut it, you good-for-nothing-tweet! I know how to read my cards!_"

She let her hand hover above the spread cards on her table, until she reached one that depicted the image of a brave young warrior heading to battle.

"_Ah… the Knight of Swords is in its way… It's been a while since someone got this card in his reading…! It will be interesting to see how its presence affects the other cards in the spread…_"

She leaned down to gaze upon her crystal ball. There, the image of an oblivious Finn, rushing at full speed towards the Fire Kingdom with a smile on his face could be seen with great clarity. The witch's features beamed a satisfied, sinister look. So much emotional resonance was brewing, heating up to reach its boiling point, the climax of it all!

Destiny was unfolding…

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_**Author's Notes:**_

**_Thank you so much for all the support you've given to this story! It's great to know people are enjoying this! I hope this chapter lived up to your expectations, if not then, I'll see you soon with more!_ **


	6. Act VI: Knight of Swords

**Flanella**

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_**Act VI: Knight of Swords**_

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"_Often taken to represent a confident and articulate young man, who may act impetuously. This Knight, though visionary, is unrealistic. He fights bravely, but foolishly. In some illustrations, he is shown to have forgotten his armor or his helmet. A 'rush to war' is a possibility with this warrior." _

–**Tarot, Minor Arcana**

Torcho groaned, grabbing Flame Princess' chin and turning her head forward. Her insistence to turn back in search of a glimpse of her brother's hawk was starting to annoy him.

"I'm sure the bird is fine, cousin." He muttered, "It must have returned to its master's side after the scuffle with that crow."

"Maybe but… Kokko it's not like that..." The younger elemental sighed, glancing down at the barren landscape.

She now had an idea of why most of the fire elementals inhabited only the heart of the Fire Kingdom and its surroundings. The place that her ancestors had chosen to establish the royal palace and the ever-growing metropolis that bordered it was overflowing with life in comparison to the wasteland below. The lands the young king was used to, were bursting with the energy of hundreds of active volcanoes, and the gushing rivers of lava that ran by the many edifications. Like a circulatory system that carried heat, light and power from the veins of the earth, through the mighty palace, towns, cities and back to their origin point.

The further Flame Princess ventured into the wastes of the west, the more far away from home she felt. It was as if they weren't in the same planet anymore. The landscape was dry and forbidding, even if judged from a fire elemental's point of view. The blazing red of the prairies she knew conveyed the impression of having been sucked to a dullish shade by the Vampire Queen herself. Not a single mountain or volcano was on sight, except for a few sand and rock formations, hiding a great variety of caverns in their entrails.

The terrain, vast and desolated was sown with craters of all sizes, as if a rain of meteorites had impacted it centuries ago. Some of them emitted thick curtains of gases, yet it was unknown if these were poisonous or just outbursts of steam.

Strong gusts came and went, carrying clouds of dust and sand with them. The flaming king rubbed her upper arms, shivering a bit. The more they advanced, the colder the environment got. It was hard to believe that these lands were also part of her kingdom. Was there even magma, boiling underneath the shattered earth?

In the sky, the sun was surrendering its reign to the moon. They only had a few hours left before the dark. Flame Princess pressed her lips together, stressed. She supposed it would be a long journey, but she never imagined that Torcho would lead her to the far west border with the Ice Kingdom. That explained the cold.

"Are we there yet?" she asked.

"Almost." Torcho said, "Let's descend here and continue on foot. The place you're seeking lies just around that giant salt stone."

Upon landing, Flame Princess noticed with curiosity the softness of the ground beneath her feet. She knelt, running her fingers along the sand. It was cold and damp, like malleable clay. She then examined the rest of the field, flinching at the jet-like eruptions of steam that the craters around her produced.

"It's a geyser field." The fiery lady announced as she eyed her cousin, "Of course, this is where the magma from our kingdom and the freezing subterranean waters of the Ice Kingdom converge. When they meet, magma heats up the water until it explodes into the surface!"

Torcho nodded, confirming her theory.

Excited, Flame Princess ran to a nearby fissure, followed by her fire wolf. Steam was rising from the heated water below. Furnius must have taken advantage of the sprayed subterranean water to form his ice weapons at night, when the temperature of the Ice Kingdom prevailed in the land. The only question she had left was, how? A fire elemental can't manipulate water, not even when it rose in the form of hot steam.

Jake 2 groaned, rubbing his head against her thigh. The young ruler understood the hound's worry. Fire wolves tend to inhabit the border where ice and fire collided, it was only natural that their instincts forced them to stay away from the geysers. A sudden eruption could easily tear the sturdiest fire elemental in existence into pieces.

With this in mind, Flame Princess decided that it was time to move on. She turned to Torcho and he guided her to the entrance that would probably lead them into a system of underground tunnels and caverns; the perfect hiding spot for a vicious viper as Furnius.

Before walking inside though, Jake 2 leapt above Torcho's head, rushing into the twilit skies as if by command. The prince watched the beast fly away, back to the young Flame King's secret settlement. He then faced the woman before him with an expectant glare.

"You knew…" Torcho whispered.

Flame Princess offered him a saddened glance. "I've been betrayed by the people I love my whole life long, do you think I wouldn't recognize another traitor when I have him in front of me?"

She adopted an offensive stance, lighting the flames that engulfed her body.

"I just want to make something clear, Torcho… You have disappointed me. I had faith in you. I wanted to believe that you were different and not just your brother's shadow." Her trembling eyes were locked on his, conveying the pain that she would never dare to communicate. "Why, Torcho?"

The prince lowered his head, unable to bear his cousin's disheartened gaze. Turning his eyes to the ground could only make him feel worse. The careful knots that Flame Princess had tied on his shoes, a sign of her concern and her wish to protect him from a fall in both the literal and the metaphorical sense, were starting to grow loose.

"B-because…" his voice quivered, "I fear my brother more than I esteem you!"

Torcho faced her once again, igniting his fists to their fullest. The two royals let their fire auras meet, swirling and clacking in the air. A clash between them was certain to happen. Clouds of dust buffeted their hardened faces, yet none showed signs of cringing. On the spur of the moment, the fissure that Flame Princess had examined earlier gave in to the pressure and vented an outburst of boiling water, forcing the two elementals to react and charge against the other.

Torcho connected the first hit, bruising the king's fair skin with a brutal punch. It was the start of another senseless battle between the members of the same family.

"Please forgive me, FP." the flaming man sighed, delivering another ruthless blow on his cousin, while she struggled to recover from the first strike.

Flame Princess let the wind carry his words away. They held no meaning to her. How could he ask for forgiveness when his fists were responsible for the blood that was now soaking the dirt beneath them? Her blood…

**x~x~x~x~x**

The young man grew anxious. No matter where he asked, no one seemed to know anything about the existing conflict between the two royal families. Since Finn arrived to the gates of the Fire Kingdom's city, he began to look up for information regarding to Flame Princess' whereabouts. Sadly, no fire elemental appeared to even understand what was the human talking about. It was as if the war that took Cinnamon Bun's life away was only a myth.

Tired of interrogating the common folk, Finn traveled deeper into the blazing nation. He asked around the outskirts of the Palace, hoping the Flame Guards and soldiers that patrolled the area would be better informed of the disturbances, stirring in the west plains of their kingdom.

No one offered him the information he required, although they reacted differently than the civilians. Instead of shrugging in confusion, the hard-rock soldiers glared at the hero, as if they were watching over a well-kept secret. Finn tried to insist, stressing the importance of his presence there, but to no avail. He should've known something like this would happen —after all, in the fiery lands, he was considered a buffoon. Not a champion.

Resigned, Finn strolled back to the city and let his rear end fall onto the lip of a lonely sidewalk. It was no use; no one would listen to him. The fame he had earned through the years as the great hero of the land meant nothing to the fire beings. In their eyes, he was just the jerk who had hurt their beloved ruler's feelings.

The setting sun beamed in his eyes, blinding him for a few seconds. The human shaded his blue orbs, action that granted him the ability to decry a strange sight, coming in his direction at full speed. It was a fire wolf that struggled to keep its body airborne as a dark crow-like entity harassed its flight with constant attacks.

Jake 2 had been forced to alter the course of its escape towards FP's brother at his military settlement because of a sudden ambush, performed by no other than the obstinate Crabbit himself. Finn however, was oblivious of the circumstances that compelled the wolf to flee from the west. Whatever the case was, he knew that the fiery beast needed to be rescued, and buffoon or not, it was his duty to answer any call of distress, no matter what.

Dashing through the crowded streets, the human made his way to one of the many stores and climbed its volcanic surface until he reached the top. Thankfully, the closer he got to the city, the more altitude the fire wolf dropped, making it easier for Finn to catch up with it.

He continued to run, jump, and climb from one rooftop to the other, each one higher than the last one. An extended awning acted as a trampoline to boost the hero into the air, just in time to grasp the crabbit's hind legs. The sudden excess of weight dragged the witch's familiar down, causing him to crash into a building with the human still hanging from his feet.

A mass of startled fire citizens began to gather beneath the now wrecked establishment, turning their eyes to the top were two dizzy figures strived to get back on their feet.

"Hey you…Weird bird guy!" Finn demanded between gasps, "Who do you think you are?! I… I'll teach ya a lesson…!"

The fatigued crabbit had trouble to maintain his balance as well. Fortunately for the wobbly young man, the crow-rabbit hybrid happened to ignore the duke challenge, and dismissed the threat with a hand swipe.

"You know what?" the black creature huffed, "Whatever! I've already gotten my good load of bruises for the day! I'm peacing out!"

The humanoid being fled back into the dusking heavens, shortly after that exclamation. Never in his life had the hero encountered such a mysterious and bizarre creature—and that was saying a lot, considering all the freaky foes that he had battled in the past. Puzzled and visibly exhausted, the human let himself collapse, closing his eyes in search of a tranquil rest.

Still on the building's rooftop, Finn along with the fire wolf, lay on their backs for several minutes as they caught their breath. Having recovered some of his stamina, the human crawled to the hound's side. Sensing his approach, the wolf turned to snarl at him, baring its sharp teeth in an obvious unfriendly manner.

"Whoa, boy! Calm down!" Finn lifted his hands as he slowly retreated, "I'm not going to hurt you, buddy… All I want is to check your injuries."

Jake 2 continued to growl.

"Wait a minute…" the young man squinted, observing the large beast better, "Are you CB's wolf? Yeah, it's you! I-I'm a friend of Flame Princess', don't you recognize me?"

Having been raised by dogs, Finn knew that every canine understood things better not by listening, but by using their nose instead. He cautiously knelt down, leaning closer and closer to the angry animal. Soon curiosity took over Jake 2's mind, leading it to sniff the air. Discovering a familiar scent, the wolf pushed his body forward, pressing its enormous head against the hero's chest.

Finn couldn't help to let out a giggle as the giant nose sniffed his abdomen, inhaling his shirt and even skin in the process. Jake 2 easily identified Flanella's aroma, mixed with Finn's. A wolf never forgets a scent, and it was clear that the man sitting before it was somehow related to its masters.

The young man waited nervously for the hound's verdict, receiving a heavy lick across the face as a positive reply. At least the flame shield helped to draw back the sticky feeling of doggy saliva all over him. Now that Jake 2 was willing to let him invade his space, Finn rummaged through the contents of his backpack and pulled out a small crystal bottle.

"Well, this is my last bit of Cyclops' tears, but I guess you need them more than I do."

After dripping the few final drops of the magical liquid on the wolf's wounded legs, Finn took a moment to gaze at the horizon, wondering where could Flame Princess be. Sensing his distress, Jake 2 recovered from its lying position and barked at the human.

"What is it? Do you know anything about FP? W-where can I find her?" his voice was almost desperate. "Can you take me to her?"

The fire wolf replied with a nod, bending its knees to let the hero climb on its back. Understanding the message, Finn eagerly hopped onto the hound's neck, ready to take flight, back to his princess' side.

Jake 2 however, had an idea of its own. Being Flame Princess' last command to go back to her sibling and bring the troops, the fiery canine drove its rider to the hidden settlement on the west plains. Of course, the young man was surprised when the three-hour ride ended abruptly in the middle of nowhere. A few crimson tents and campfires were the only signs of life that welcomed him to that unfamiliar territory.

Again, Finn had to question another mystery left behind by the young ruler. If she was heading to war, why did it seem that she hadn't brought enough soldiers with her? That camp wasn't exactly the place where an entire company could settle down. It was more like the shelter of a smaller unit, but then again, it wasn't as if Finn knew anything about the military.

"Um, I don't get it." he gulped, "Do you want me to go in there?"

The wolf nodded.

The large tent before them stood out from the rest, not only because of its size, but also because of the fancy flame-like designs, sewed onto the bright red fabric with golden thread. As intimidating as the place was, Finn could only imagine that the fire elemental inside it was just as threatening, which caused the young man to grow instantly nervous.

"Is Flame Princess in there?"

Jake 2 shook its head and sent a begging stare at him, accompanied by a sad moan.

Finn let his shoulders melt in disappointment. "I get it… Something bad happened to her, isn't that right? And now you want me to help you seek reinforcements…" a discouraged sigh left his lips, "I'll try my best, but I warn you… I'm not exactly considered a hero around this neighborhoods."

For Flame Princess and for her only, the anxious young man walked inside the general's private quarters. Just when he thought that the appearance of the royal tent couldn't be fancier, the luxury of its inside left him speechless. It had everything the military leader could need; from a vast collection of weaponry to a manifold of armors and expertly crafted shields.

The ground was carpeted and there was plenty of furniture to make of any stay a comfortable one, including a wide meeting table where the general and two of his subordinates happened to be sitting. Charts, maps, and documents of all sorts were scattered on its surface, indicating the human that he had probably interrupted a very important discussion.

The heated arguing that the fire elementals had been holding until Finn showed up was silenced straightaway. Every glaring eye was now focused on him, making the young man as uncomfortable as he could be. To worsen his situation, the hero couldn't avoid noticing a familiar, yet quite vexed face among the three flaring men: Flame Princess' brother.

Finn's blood raced and seized his features, depicting an embarrassed blush on his face. Flashbacks of the dance that Jake forced him to do, wearing nothing but his underwear and the tablecloth within them, while singing the "Buff baby song", hit his brain. Back then it wasn't so bad, at least Flame Princess ended up giving him her full support and her opinion was the only one that mattered. Now however, the opinion of the angry fire elemental before him had a higher value, and it could only make everything he had planned so much more complicated...

"You…" the prince hissed, standing up. "It's you!"

The young man couldn't think of anything else to do and bared a wide nervous grin. "Yeah… It's me… Hi…"

"General," one of his soldiers spoke, "Should we take care of this intruder?"

"Not yet! First I must show this clown the consequences of bursting in an officer's quarters without permission."

It came to Finn's mind that ever since the last time they met, Flame Princess' brother had developed a certain hatred towards him, and though he couldn't blame him for trying to keep his little sister away from a potential psycho, there was no way he'd stay with his arms crossed.

Summoning some of the courage that characterized him, the bear-capped hero replied. "Excuse me sir, but I have come here to warn you! Flame Princess is—!"

"How dare you speak of her? You of all people! You who not only tore her heart in pieces, but also failed to aid her in her time of need!"

"Oh… FP told you all of that…" Finn sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.

The general turned his face away, frowning. "And let's not forget about the nightmares that I have yet to overcome!"

"N-nightmares?"

"Yes! About you, big baby, marrying my sister and having her children!" the elemental shouted, shuddering at such thought.

Was that supposed to offend him? Because it certainly did, nobody should make fun of his relationship with Flame Princess, much less call it disgusting. Now it was the human's turn to shout.

"Aw, come on! You can't be serious! Listen, about the weird junk that I did back then…"

"No! Don't say it! Better yet, don't speak a word and get out of my sight!"

"Aren't you acting a little rude here?" Finn yelled, stepping forward in defiance.

The other two soldiers gasped in fear, turning their eyes to their general.

Finn was about to learn that no one was allowed to defy the Flame General, the nasty way. Said leader pushed his chair back and walked over to him. The hero's boldness evaporated at the heat of the towering elemental's flames. Flame Princess' brother was bigger than he remembered, about the size of his father, the evil Flame King. Even when one of his arms appeared to be injured, the rest of his body was robust. His chest was firm and wide, with muscular arms and legs.

The young blond man gulped, feeling minuscule in comparison. He wondered if Marceline had considered any of this, because nothing was coming out as planned.

Flame Princess' brother rolled his blazing eyes down at his opponent. "What if I'm acting rude, huh? What are you gonna do about it?"

"W-well… I could, I could…" Finn stepped on his toes in an attempt to look taller. "I could challenge you to a sword duel!"

"Really? Because I don't see your sword anywhere."

"That's because my sword is right her—…"

He used his mechanical arm to reach the blade on his backpack; however, there wasn't anything where he expected it to be. Finn let out a nervous laugh, sweat rolling down his forehead.

"Heh… I think I left my sword at home…"

The fiery prince smirked. "Humph! Some swordsman you are!"

Finn clenched his fists, exasperated. How come he was still stuck in there with that giant bully, when Flame Princess' life was in danger? Gritting his teeth, the young man stepped away from the elemental, throwing his arms in the air.

"How's that important?! Don't you see? I didn't come all the way here to deal with a big butt like you! I came because Flame Princess might be endangering her life in this moment, and I can't stand to think what would happen if anyone dared to lay a single finger on her!"

The general widened his stare. "My sister is in danger, you said?"

The tension between them was suddenly dispelled. Finn noticed it, the prince of flames was deeply concerned and it could only mean one thing: It was true, Flame Princess needed them, as soon as possible.

"Listen Buff Baby, if there's anything you know about my sister you must tell it to me now, is that clear?"

Although the nickname was indeed a pain in the butt, the young man decided to let it slide for the moment and focus on rescuing Flame Princess instead. He replied with a determined nod, and so, the imposing fire elemental allowed him to sit with him and his soldiers in order to discuss their next move.

Before they began to trace a plan, one of the subordinates passed a piece of paper to the general. The aforementioned examined it deep in thought and then groaned impatiently.

"What's this supposed to be? There is nothing but senseless doodles in here!"

The soldier anxiously cleared his throat and proceeded to answer. "Um, the king left a chart with detailed instructions of the measures that should be taken in case that something like this happened… Those senseless doodles —as you called them— are that strategy, sir."

Flame Princess' brother pinched the bridge of his nose, exhausted. "I hate it when she does this… My sister is not exactly an experimented tactician. She has spirit and dedication, but her writing is formless, uncontrolled and overall, jumbled. The symbols she uses can't be found in any codex. Now I'll have to spend the rest of the night trying to decipher her plan!"

Finn stretched over a little, catching a glimpse of the troubling strategy. He giggled in amusement.

The Flame General glared at him. "What's so funny, huh?"

"Nothing! It's just… that chart's got FP's personality scribbled all over it. I can understand it. She's using the adventurer's code, a made up form of writing that we used to trace dungeon maps together whenever we went out for a crawl!"

A sweet smile brightened his tired face.

"Actually, she was quite good at it…"

* * *

_**Author's Notes:**_

_**You know what? Forget about the arcs. I feel like I have been rushing some things so I'm gonna make this story as long as it needs to be, and try to pace everything nicely. Thanks a lot for the feed back! Criticism is always appreciated!** _


	7. Act VII: King of Swords

_**Flanella**_

* * *

_**Act VII: King of Swords**_

* * *

"_The King of Swords is a card of duality. He is passionate and trustworthy, idealistic and dignified. He is a leader. __On a negative side, the King of Swords can be one who is withdrawn and at times, aggressive, moody and bad tempered if he feels he has not received what he feels he deserves. He likes to dictate and dominate others.__Often linked to positions of authority, he depicts a mature man who is a 'seeker of truth'. __The King of Swords makes for a formidable opponent, but a good man to have on one's side__." _

–**Tarot, Minor Arcana**

In a cage hanging next to others, locked inside of a dark room where only a thin ray of moonlight brightened the eyes of those whose freedom had been stolen, there lied a fire hawk. Its silver body reflected the brief flakes of light that drifted upon him with his weak movements. The other imprisoned creatures kept a close watch on the new specimen. It seemed they hadn't seen a bird made of iron and fire in centuries, as the golden sparkles of his long-feathered wings and tail, attracted their attention with great curiosity.

Kokko himself was surprised to notice the many faces that were staring at him. Thorn-tailed bats, six-legged snakes, and one-eyed toads among other assortments of strange species, was the last thing the trained hawk expected to find upon awakening, several hours after being knocked out by the Crabbit.

Speaking of which, before the royal bird could inquire in his own avian language where had his capturer gone, a shrilling screech tore the silence apart. Then at the hallway, running for dear life, the crow-rabbit hybrid made his awaited arrival. Blue zaps and sparks pierced his body, causing some black feathers to fly off his injured rear end. While behind him, a green-skinned woman charged at him in fuming flight, firing with fury her deadly spells.

"_You useless dog!"_ the caged animals heard her shriek, _"Lazy-butt! You sad excuse of a helper! Thou shall burn! Burn with lightning!"_

"B-but M-mistress! Please let me explain!"

A dead end showed up ahead, trapping the terrified Crabbit against the wall as the angry Sky Witch approached him. Not knowing what else to do in his defense, the vulnerable familiar curled up in the corner, covering his head underneath his arms. The sight was so pathetic in fact, that the witch was forced to cease her attack.

Did she feel pity for her servant? Not in the least! The witch's maniacal laughter made itself present before the Crabbit could utter a humble prayer. To a certain point, being mocked at was better than being continuously zapped down the hall, and for this, the battered hybrid was slightly thankful.

"_I don't know why I still bother on keeping such a useless pest by my side! Seriously, why can't you even get rid of a stupid flying dog?"_

Crabbit struggled to get back on his feet as he replied, "Maja, I was on it! But then this weirdo jumped at me and—!"

"_Excuses, excuses! Why don't you shut your beak, so that I can focus on finding a way to mend your unforgivable mistake!?"_

Maja floated back to the main chamber of the antique mansion. The room was filled with tribal tokens, amulets, and charms of unknown origin. Spider webs polluted every corner and filthy nuke, just like the dust that covered each forgotten book, still open somewhere on the mossy floor. It was the very place where the witch gave birth to countless demonic spells, and brews. Her black cauldron bubbled at the center of the room, heated by the fires of hatred that burned down every passionate and desperate emotion back to their primal essence: soul sap.

By the dim light of a melted candle, the evil sorceress returned to her tarot cards. The spread of her last consultant was still on the table. She made a quick recap of the act of divination that had taken place fifteen months ago, if her mind could recall correctly. The events she had predicted were now happening, and it was her duty to manipulate destiny to her own favor.

"_The last member of the Royal Suit has appeared."_ Maja smirked, _"The complete Court of Swords in a single spread, well isn't that amusing? Indeed, this is a family matter… Blood ties clashing and entwining…" _

"What are you blabbering about now, Maja?"

Crabbit limped to her side, leaning down to glimpse the cards.

"_Because of you the Knight has reached the King of Swords!"_ she shouted, pushing her familiar onto the floor, _"Now the whole process has been accelerated! Do you think this is what __**he **__wanted?! Do you think I'll get my reward after you messed everything up?!"_

"W-what can I do to revert it? I swear it won't happen again!"

"_For your butt's sake, I hope it doesn't!"_ Maja went back to the cards, tracing her fingers over the elements of the major arcana. _"In order for this dark night to last forever, we must get rid of The Sun…"_

Crabbit scratched his head in confusion, "Which means?"

"_Now that the whole family is about to assemble in one place, I say we should make sure every member is present there, don't you think?" _

She turned back to her servant, smirking in satisfaction as a juicy plan was formed in her brain.

"_The elemental baby. You must take it to our fellow dealer! Then __**he**__ will be able to fully manipulate the rest of the cards with the power that I have granted him!" _

Her familiar reached out for his forehead, groaning in annoyance. "Right now? But I just came back from—!"

**"**_**Get Moving!" **_

More blue zaps lighted the dark hallways. And as the sparks and electricity flowed through the Crabbit's nerves, Kokko lowered his head in despair. For how could the fire eagle aid his master, when the speed and strength of his wings were kept at bay inside a cage?

**x~x~x~x~x**

In her mind, a vision sprawled. Cinnamon Bun stood in front of her, alive and well. His pastry complexion, rigid on the outside but soft on the inside, could only enhance the trust that she felt for him. Frustrated tears kept rolling down her golden cheeks. His sweet hand wiped them all out.

He held a firm grasp on her shoulders, peering into her fatigued eyes with his peaceful black ones. It was just like on that night, left behind in the past many months ago, before everything commenced. They had taken a decision that would change their lives forever.

She was demoralized by the lack of alternatives. He was certain that in the end it would all be fine. It was for the kingdom. Undeniably, every sacrifice they would make was for the greater good of their kingdom. This was not what she wanted, not in that way at least. But it had to be done. She would protect her people from the relentless wrath of another tyrant, no matter the cost.

Cinnamon Bun displayed a tender smile. Somehow it made her feel better. No one but him could assure her safety. No one but him could ensure that the pristine condition of her body and soul would remain intact, for the most part. Nevertheless, a knight is above all, a gallant defender of that which is pure. Every single touch had to be gentle, to soothe the pain, to spare more blood from soaking in the burning land.

"It'll hurt just a little." He whispered as to reassure her.

Not even a wince darted out of her lips. She embraced her champion instead, grateful for his unyielding devotion. He made a promise, that he would be by her side every step of the way.

Yet the road goes on, and he's nowhere to be seen.

"_Where are you now, Cinnamon Bun?" _

Flame Princess opened her eyes.

Her body had been lay to rest on an unfamiliar bed. Where was she now? It didn't take her long to notice that her armor was gone, leaving her only with her simple white dress and the crown, still seated on her head.

The sound of flowing water reached her now conscious ears. The air felt dense and heavy, the mere act of breathing soon became an arduous task. Everywhere she turned her eyes to, her vision managed to distinguish solely dancing shadows and silhouettes, caused by the glow of her flames.

What happened during her battle with Torcho? How did she end up there?

Pain stabbed her senses. The back of her head throbbed relentlessly, as if her skull had been crushed under the weight of a rock golem. She tried to sit up, receiving more waves of pain in consequence. Every muscle and nerve in her system grew stiff as stone. However, staying in bed was not an option.

Flame Princess mustered all of her strength to force herself up. Stumbling to the other side of the room, she stopped her body from falling as she leaned against the wall. The surface felt cold and rough like rock. It all made sense now, someone had rendered her unconscious during her fight, and then dragged her down into Furnius' underground lair.

Fearing the loss of her powers, Flame Princess shot a small fireball into the darkness, brightening the long tunnel before her, until the spark vanished in the distance. Despite the paralysis, her body wasn't any weaker than before. At least she was allowed to keep her strength, and even though this gave her some relief, a dreadful hunch possessed her heart.

Why did they choose to leave their enemy roam freely within their domains? Why didn't they chain her down and strip her of her powers? Nothing felt right, but the only way to find an answer was to move forward.

Thus, she began her descent into the dark.

Watching her step, Flame Princess noticed several puddles of icy water just in time to avoid dipping her naked toes into one. They were possibly remains of the underground streams that ran by the many tunnel networks of the area. Taking in a deep breath, she proceeded to move on.

The never-ending solitude that hosted her trek grew unbearable after an hour of aimless exploration. Wasn't there supposed to be a light at the end of the tunnel?

"Hello?" she uttered to no one in particular.

Flame Princess knew it wasn't her smartest idea yet, but she was running out of options anyway. As expected not a single soul replied, no one except for a brief shimmer of red on her left. Taking that as a signal, the fire elemental drove her feet deeper into the unknown.

Magma flowed gently, following the eroded paths that were carved along the entrails of the earth. Upon arriving, Flame Princess sent a grateful smile to the furniture that decorated the mysterious chamber ahead. Finally, a sign of civilization! It was the melted rocks, circulating by the vaulted walls, what produced the comforting glimmer that she had spotted earlier.

Curious since birth, Flame Princess walked up to the large desk in the center of the room. There, standing on a plain board, a multitude of clay figurines faced the east wall before them, as if they were part of a marching army.

Flame Princess blew a raspberry, "Must be some nerdy strategy game." She rolled her eyes and advanced to the other end of the chamber, "And here I was, thinking my evil cousins were too old to play with toy soldiers!"

However deceitful, the mettlesome elemental couldn't avoid feeling attracted to the great and colorful collection that was on display before her: butterflies, thousands of them. Each specimen was carefully mounted on the wall, labeled, and probably arranged in accordance to some specific order unknown to her.

"These must be Volcanic Divers, from the lowlands…" she whispered, tapping the glass-case softly, "And these… These are like the ones that used to fly by my house when I used to live near the Grasslands…"

A stroke of sadness painted her expression. She remembered watching a blue-colored butterfly flapping above her excited eyes once; she was lying flat on the grass, Finn was next to her. The blue-winged insect passed by then, and she had never seen a butterfly before.

Finn noticed her bewilderment and sat up to catch it. When he opened his hands, the pretty creature made its way to his thumb, spreading its wings for the young girl beside him.

"_Are those things poisonous or somethin'?" _

"_Wuh? Nah! These are just cute little fellas! See?"_

The butterfly suddenly decided that it was time to fly off, and leapt forward, right into the human's nose. Startled, Finn rolled backwards, causing Flame Princess blurt out in laughter.

What if the butterfly behind the glass, now with its thorax and wings pierced onto the foam was the same one from that day back then?

Stepping back in sorrow, the young woman sighed, "How can something that looks so beautiful seem so cruel?"

"Preserving beauty demandsss cruelnesss sometimesss…"

A voice hissed on her back.

Flame Princess spun towards it, igniting her flaming fists.

"Did you sssleep tight, dear cousin?"

She furrowed her brow in anger, even though the constant pulsations in her head made her wish she could scream in pain.

"Furnius!"

**x~x~x~x~x**

Exhausted, Finn collapsed on the ground, breathing heavily. He didn't care if the rocks that covered the ground were now pricking his back. He didn't give a crud if the chilling winds from the Ice Kingdom slapped his face. For all he cared, a crack could just open wide in the ground, so that the earth swallowed him once and for all.

From his experience in the last two hours of intense arguing, Finn could now conclude that Flame Princess' brother was a giant butt. Sure, he was the great Flame General, the all mighty lord of every single being in existence. Mister "I'm right and you are wrong!"

What could he know about battling? In Finn's opinion, it was the experience earned through years of fighting monsters with one's bare hands, rescuing princesses, and even falling in defeat, what made a true warrior. Besides, he knew Flame Princess' handwriting better, and he was in fact, an expert when it came to unveil her cryptic tactics. But, no! Flame Princess' sibling had to brag about his ten years in the military, and the magnificent general that he was.

No wonder that in the middle of their arguing, Finn had accidentally knocked the general's lava mug all over Flame Princess' chart, instantly turning their only course of action into cinders. Of course, the Flame General exploded in anger and kicked the human out of the mission. And of course, the aforesaid stormed out of the tent in reply.

"Why do I always ruin everything?!" Finn exclaimed, as if begging the heavens for an answer.

The giant fire wolf strolled to the human's side, lowering its head and nuzzling his ribs gently. Finn sighed and stared back at Jake 2. The hound cried softly, urging him to sit up. With a short crooked smile, he pushed himself upwards and patted the animal's forehead gently.

"You know, I think I really get you!" he chuckled, "We're both valiant warriors, aren't we? We are fierce beasts, no one's pet! And we kinda do like the same stuff!"

The hero went to scratch the wolf's ears, only to notice how the over-grown dog buried its head between its hind legs and meticulously licked its genitals.

"Except for that. I definitively don't do that!"

Jake 2 ceased its self-cleaning behavior and immediately gave its full attention to the young man. In reply, Finn erased his disgusted looks and chuckled back in content.

"Sometimes I wish everyone in the Fire Kingdom was as supportive as you…" his grin faded, "I guess Cinnamon Bun raised you well…"

The fire wolf leaned against the human and gratefully licked his face, going back to its happy panting after that.

Finn laughed at the friendly display of affection, however he couldn't help to fix his eyes back on the General's tent, stressed.

"I don't think I'll be able to handle an entire army on my own… If I want to find FP and bring her back to safety I'll need to find a way to get along with her sib…"

Jake 2 tilted its head, moaning in worry.

"I know." he replied, "It ain't gonna be easy… If only I could prove him my worth somehow, perhaps he would take me seriously then. I don't even want to imagine how will he react when he sees the changes on Flanella… What will he think of me then?! There's no way he would ever let me near Flame Princess again! And all I want is to be with the two of them, FP and Flanella… Glob, I miss 'em…"

Both wolf and human placed their stares in the darkened skies, sighing. For a moment there was silence, the kind of peace that conveys a feeling of security, a sense of safety and calm. Then, an unnatural hum echoed in the air and a soft vibration was felt. Finn connected his palms to the ground, sensing how it gradually grew into a quake. He quickly pressed his ear against the earth and gasped.

"Something's coming! Something loud, with many feet! I-I think it's an army!"

Finn ran to a nearby hill, followed by Jake 2. A cloud of dust became visible in the horizon. They were hundreds of soldiers coming from the west, heading straight to Flame Princess' military base.

"What are we gonna do now, Jake 2?" he asked, alarmed.

The hound frowned, growling and snarling. Before Finn could say anything else, Jake 2 jumped into the sky and flew off to nowhere.

"Wait! What are you doing? You can't just leave me like that!"

No matter how much he called it, the fire wolf never returned. Clenching his teeth Finn chose to forget about it and headed to Flame Princess' brother as fast as he could. At first the fire elementals displayed plenty of anger because of the human's sudden intromission. However, this changed the moment he declared that they were soon going to be under attack.

Every soldier available was mobilized into the fields, shielding their hard-rock bodies with heavy metal armors and helmets, while they clutched fiery spears and lances. The strikes of their feet, heeding to their general's call, provoked their forces' own small quake. Before long, every fiery man was shooting itself into the sky, leaving behind thick trails of smoke and fire on the dark heavenly canvas, as they all dashed towards the imminent battle ahead.

Finn watched them in astonishment, frightened yet, at the same time, anxious to fight by their side. Even so, he still had an impediment to take care of. Rather than just being unarmed, he couldn't exactly rocket his body into the night sky like the other soldiers, and to top it all, Jake 2 had abandoned him.

What was he supposed to do? Run after them? By the time he manages to cover the great distance between them, the fight will probably be over. Once again, that dreadful feeling of being useless crawled over Finn, forcing him fall on his knees and punch the ground in anger.

"Hey, Buff Baby!" the Flame General called, a smirk on his confident face. "Are you going to stay there crying, or are you going to join us and fight like a man?"

Frustrated Finn snapped, "Dude, I can't fly! Alright?! How am I even gonna get there?!"

Flame Princess' brother walked up to him and kneeled by his side, patting his armored shoulder blades.

"Get on my back."

"What?"

"Are you waiting for a written invitation?" the general shouted, "I said get on my back!"

Finn gulped, staring at the fire elemental man with a trembling smile.

"Are you really going to carry me all the way there?"

"I just wanna see if you have the guts you bluffed about a while ago! Besides, my right arm is all jacked up, and you've got a full-functioning mechanical one there. Do you get my point? This is your chance to prove that you're not just a buff baby, ya hear me?"

"Sir, yes Sir!" the hero cried in excitement, lunging over the general's back.

"Easy there! I'm not a horse, stupid!"

"Sorry sir…"

* * *

_**Author's Notes:**_

_**Psst! Remember, it's not what it seems!  
**_

_**Glad you guys are enjoying this story so much! And thanks for all the support and feedback! **_


	8. Act VIII: The Devil

_**Flanella**_

–_**Major Arcana–**_

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_**Act VIII: The Devil**_

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"_The Devil is a symbol of the side of ourselves, which contains all the aspects of our personality that we like the least and would rather not know about. We would prefer to be able to hide our shadow-side, for fear of being shunned by others. It signifies a feeling of stagnation and hopelessness. Self-motivation is needed to make the changes to un-chain yourself from a negative situation."_

–**Tarot, Major Arcana**

Those warriors weren't like anything Finn had seen before. Expressionless, as if their faces had been carved on their heads, they marched through the formation of fiery soldiers, wiping them out without mercy. Like bulldozers tearing down a vast forest, they advanced onward, unstoppable. To stand in front of one of those warriors was comparable to face the railroad with your arms open wide and wait for the Candy Express to hit you and run over your crippled body.

It was pretty much what Finn felt when one of those rock-like beings smashed him away. As he struggled to get back on his feet, spitting out a squirt of blood and wiping his dust covered lips afterwards, the human finally understood what kind of enemy were they fighting against. Sentient humanoids, all of them sculpted with the same symmetrical fashion, shaped to be especially resistant to physical injury and unbelievably strong as well.

Any fire attack was easily bounced off their stone-made bodies. Flame soldiers were forced to rely only on their brute force, which wasn't exactly useful either. Taking down one of those non-living warriors required the effort of at least four Flame soldiers, whom in the end, weren't left with much energy to continue fighting.

Flame Princess' brother wasn't very far from him. He was actually doing his best to push as many stone warriors away from the recovering human, using the strength of his left shoulder and back to charge against them. When he managed to disperse a few, the general rushed to Finn's side, holding his wounded arm tightly.

"How do you expect to defeat an entire army of these guys with so few Flame soldiers?" Finn questioned, shaking off the dizziness of the last blow he received.

"Listen, kid. Flame Princess never wanted to involve the entire force of the Flame Kingdom in this war. Her first priority was to keep as many people out of this conflict as possible. She didn't want to worry her people more than they already were. It was already hard to explain them how Sir Cinnamon Bun perished in battle without lying!"

"I get it, but still! Isn't it too risky? I mean, look around you! There are hundreds of them, and they are easily annihilating each one of your men!"

"Believe me, I tried to convince her, I begged her to let me use all of our units. But if you really know her as good as I do, you'd understand she's hardheaded as heck! My sister refuses to let other's fight our battle; this is between her, Furious, Torcho and me! A family quarrel isn't worth the life of others…"

Finn turned his blue eyes to the ground. Now he understood why no one was able to tell him anything about the civil war when he asked around the Fire Kingdom. Flame Princess violated her "No Secrets Policy" in order to keep her people at a safe distance from the hostilities of her family struggle. It made him wonder what other secrets could she still keep hidden, especially from him.

"FP… I bet she was hoping to be able to stop this before it all got out of her hands…" he sighed.

"Now that you mention it…" the Flame General continued, "When the civil war first began, they didn't have the need to throw larger units against us, nor did we."

Flame Princess' brother raised his head, scanning his surroundings. Wherever he looked at, all he could see were the battered bodies of his soldiers being crushed and torn apart. There were too many enemies to handle, it was clear now, that this wasn't a mere ambush. More waves came from afar, and more stone warriors were about seize him and Finn if they didn't get out of the way.

"If only I hadn't let her leave on her own with Torcho…"

The hero was still processing the last thing the general told him when he felt his strong grip, pulling him onto his back. As the Flame General dashed his way out of the closing platoon, Finn realized something.

"Wait a second! Why would you let your sister alone with that freak?! No wonder we're being attacked, Torcho must have revealed our position! And now FP is…! She could be…!"

"You think I don't know that?!" the general roared, shutting Finn's mouth. "I've been concerned about her all this time, even before she left! Now the enemy has our King in his power. It's only a matter of time before Furnius' troops reach the Palace, then we'll be done for…"

Staring at Flame Princess' brother's gloomy features, Finn took a moment to think about the fiery girl and the decisions she had made. Perhaps she wasn't as naïve as they all thought. He shook his head with a smile, wondering if Flame Princess did plan all of this since the very beginning.

"Well… If Furnius is going for an invasion, I guess it's good most of the Fire Kingdom's army stayed behind where they'll certainly be required, huh?"

The Flame General considered the human's statement thoughtfully. It made sense. Now all there was to ask was, why did he lack so much faith in his little sister? Even a Buff Baby like Finn could see more in her than just an ingenuous girl, still learning what was life all about. Not for anything, she was the King of the Fire Kingdom, someone destined to carry the weight of thousands in her shoulders. Why did he, her own brother, still doubt of Flame Princess' ability to lead them to victory?

He took a deep breath and avoided a quick punch coming from the left. With Finn still holding tight onto his back, the Flame General chuckled, honoring his sister's law as he confessed a shameful truth.

"As her old brother I am supposed to offer Flame Princess all of my trust and support. However, I've realized that I have done nothing but to underestimate her wise judgment. You on the other hand, despite of being the guy who betrayed her trust, have more faith in her than many of us."

The general frowned as he turned to face Finn, seriousness spreading all over his fiery features.

"Why is that?"

The hero was taken aback. He knew the answer, he always did, but poor Finn wasn't sure if Flame Princess' brother was the kind of person that would take such an answer as an acceptable explanation. More stone warriors came charging at them, there was no place to run to, and as far as they knew—they were hardly going to make it out alive. Was this the right place or even the right time to confess that he still had feelings for his sister?

"I… I…" Finn mumbled, "It's because I… I love her."

The Flame General widened his blazing eyes in astonishment, "You what?!"

His giant feet sank in the sand, stopping his wild run with an abrupt screech. Surely that was the last thing an old and ventured fire elemental would expect to hear from a feeble rat that could barely defend his own life in the current inferno that was the battlefield. How could the human hold the nerve to admit such thing? Finn knew what he thought about his relationship with his little sister. Indisputably, he would never allow the nightmare to come true ever again.

"Take back what you just said!" the general yelled, "If the only reason for you to be here is to try to win my sister back, then you better consider yourself dead! I won't consent it, not again! Flame Princess deserves much more than just a grown-up baby by her side! She deserves—!"

"I know." Finn interjected, "She deserves someone like Cinnamon Bun…"

The human dropped himself back to the ground, confronting the large Flame General before him. Resignation encroached upon what was left of his determined features. Ignoring the chaos, the screams and groans of pain in the wind, Finn let his head hang down in submission.

"I'm no good for her… I promise this will be the last time you'll have to deal with the likes of me. Now all I want is to keep her safe. Flanella needs her mother, doesn't she? And the Fire Kingdom depends on its King to sustain peace and prosperity throughout the land."

He sighed, "Just for once, let me be useful! Let me be the champion I failed to personify! Please, I need to protect her… It took me years to realize that there's more to love than just dates, and games, and kisses! There's sacrifice and responsibly… Cinnamon Bun knew that too, didn't he? That's why he isn't here anymore… Because he loved her… To give away one self in body and soul, that's what love's all about. And I love Flame Princess likewise…"

The Flame General remained static. Finn perceived his confession hadn't been a satisfying one. Once the general reacts, he would most likely slam him down because of his impertinence, for what right did Finn have to claim his love for a girl that he no longer deserved? It would be worth it, though. At least he had been honest.

There was a crude sound, that of bones splintering in countless shatters, yet the awaited hit of flaring knuckles scraping his skin never came. Finn slowly opened his eyes, gasping in horror. A stone warrior had aimed to smash the human's skull with both fists, only to be stopped by Flame Princess' brother before it was too late. The old general used his left arm to shield Finn from what would have been a fatal blow, his limb broken in half by the weight of an unbearable burden.

The sentient rock being retracted its fists, in a new attempt to crush its enemies, while the Flame General subdued to the pain. His knees hit the ground as he fiercely gritted his teeth. With his both arms gravely injured, the great general was now completely handicapped.

Finn hurriedly knelt by his side, frantically grasping the fire elemental's shoulders.

"You protected me, why?" he demanded, afflicted.

The Flame General offered him a fatigued stare.

"That was a touching speech you said. Sadly, I don't usually take words for granted. I don't want you to tell me that you boundlessly love my sister. Any fool can do that! I want you to show me, prove me that you are worthy of her through your actions!"

He looked down and chuckled, "You can't do that if you're dead, can you?"

Finn trembled in both anguish and nervousness, nodding. The stone warrior was ready to pound them, though its movements were slow, there was no way for Finn to drag Flame Princess' brother out of the incoming attack in time to save him. He narrowed his eyes, standing up to the fallen general's defense. His foe catapulted its massive fists forward. Breathing hard, Finn bent his knees, opening his palms to receive the blow.

His feet sank in the ground, causing it to shatter. The weight was just too much for him. Still, he was willing to push it off him. Groaning, Finn began to draw every ounce of strength in his body into his arms and hands. The steel of his mechanical limb cringed and creaked as if it was going to give up to the struggle and bend back.

It didn't. Being four heads smaller than his opponent, Finn had a perfect view of the warrior's chest. He discovered a crack between its pectoral area and its thorax. Perhaps a Flame soldier had made it some time during the battle, perhaps it could be a weak point, or maybe it wasn't. Finn didn't have much time to think it over, and so, no matter how risky, he relied on the strength of his mechanical arm to hold both of the stone warrior's fists.

Such action increased the difficulty of his task, however it gave him the chance to curl his own fist and launch an implacable punch forward. His knuckles crashed against the solid surface, spattering it with the human's blood as the fissure cracked further and deeper.

A rock wouldn't have been that easy to break through with a single fist. It was clear now that these soldiers were made of stone, but only in appearance.

_Hardened clay?_

The stone warrior was forced to step away, balancing its weight back. It seemed conscious of the damaged taken. Immediately, Finn noticed a blue glow, shinning within the being's chest.

"I-ice? These things' core is made of ice?"

As if willing to reply the human's question, the stone warrior placed a hand on its core. The icy glow was intensified then, blinding Finn as his foe materialized an ice spear and drew it out of its chest. He heard the Flame General gasp in surprise on his back. The origin of the ice weapons used against his troops had been revealed.

"W-what in the world?"

The general whispered, utterly confused. The stone warriors appeared to be an amalgam of ice and clay.

Before Finn could offer a reply, the clay warrior balanced itself forward, smashing its head hard against the human's chest. Air left his lungs as he landed on his back with a grim thud. His eyes went blank, deprived of every emotion.

Flame Princess' brother gritted his teeth in exasperation, feeling hopeless for the first time in his life. Finn's body twitched and twisted in pain, his muscles screaming for air as the clay warrior approached him. It used its ice spear to tear open its victim's shirt with a diagonal slash, opening a new wound in the already bruised area. Finn's skin grew bluish and purple (black under the effect of the flame shield) as his blood seeped out of his ruptured veins, the soreness overwhelming him with every pained breath he took.

Finn could barely keep his eyes open to glance at the night sky and the permanent, fearless stare of his foe, ready to stab his heart with the ice spear. There was no use in watching the scene that would soon follow. It would be best to close his lids and think of a better time with the baby girl he scarcely got to know and her proud mother. It didn't matter if he was actually making up moments that were never allowed to happen.

A fierce howl echoed in the darkness as his senses faded. Was it the cry of a wolf?

A wave of heat awakened his dissipating awareness. Making a final struggle, Finn let his eyes glimpse the world of the living for what he thought would be the last time. A large figure lied before him, snarling with fury at the stone soldier it had just knocked down.

"J-Jake 2…?" he wearily whispered.

It couldn't be other. The giant beast was indeed a black wolf, which expelled sizable flares of fire through the glowing cracks of its body, like a spiky projection of flaming fur. Its heavy paws pushed the sentient clay figure down, unveiling the crevice that Finn had enlarged with his fist. With the ice core exposed, Jake 2 ceased its growling to release an intense stream of flames through its maw and into the warrior's nucleus, killing it in the moment.

Once finished with its prey, the wolf retrieved a strange long-looking object, which it seemed to have been carrying in its mouth before its arrival. Speeding itself up, Jake 2 used its head to lift Finn onto its back, as well as Flame Princess' brother. Moments later, the fire wolf was back in the sky, flying off to a safe place to lay its riders to rest.

By the time Finn regained consciousness, he found himself surrounded by the warm body of Jake 2, which had curled up next to him, hoping to provide some comfort. The groggy human pushed himself to a sit up position, leaning against the wolf's stomach. He discovered that the Flame General was also there, staring at an undefined point on the wall, lost in the infinity of his mind. His injured arms lacked the proper medical treatment they needed, and each limb was left to rest by his sides.

Focusing his eyes better, Finn earned a clearer view of his surroundings. Jake 2 had taken them to a distant rock formation, where they could hide and shelter themselves from the chilling breeze of the night. What to do now? Finn wondered. They couldn't just stay there and wait 'till the morning came.

Silence encompassed them for several minutes as they took their time to speak up.

"So, you survived." The general suddenly said.

His voice didn't hold any kind of emotion, except for tiredness. Finn mustered a nod and then turned to meet the smoking tongue of Jake 2, greeting him back to the real world.

"I believe J2 has something to endow you with."

"Huh?"

The human tilted his head in confusion, following Flame Princess' brother's stare to a nearby corner. A long, pointy object was resting against the rocky surface. Jake 2 trotted towards it, clenching its canines around it. Finn could only watch in curiosity as the wolf tossed said object at his feet, barking in an attempt to get Finn to grab it.

"This…" he uttered in bewilderment, laying his fingers on its cold surface. "This is Cinnamon Bun's lance…!"

Jake 2 barked affirmatively.

Finn picked it up cautiously, finding the weapon to be quite heavy and resistant. There was a note tied with a string onto its tip. He turned to the wolf, pointing his chest doubtfully. Jake 2 nodded, causing the hero to unfold the mysterious piece of paper. His eyes widened as he read its content aloud.

"_Dear Finn,_

_If you are reading this is because my loyal hound, Jake 2, has found you worthy of wielding the title of Knight of the Fire Kingdom. Which means that you have finally grown to be the fine man I always knew you'd turn out to be. _

_You must understand though, that by the time I wrote this letter I was about to accompany Flame Princess to war. Whether I'll manage to defend Her Majesty or even rise victorious from the fight it's still unknown to me. Nevertheless, if something were to happen to me, it's my responsibly to find someone reliable enough to occupy my place as champion. _

_I believe you were destined to be that person since the beginning, for that I humbly ask you for forgiveness. Everything I did was always in favor of Flame Princess' well-being and joy. And though it may sound absurd, keeping you away from her was the only way I had to ensure her happiness as well as __**yours**__. I ignore if you've already met Flanella or not, and I hope you won't grow resentful for what I am about to tell you, or even get to hate my little girl because of it. You know better than that, right Finn? Now pay close attention to this, Flanella is…"_

"I don't," Finn said, lowering the paper. "I don't know if I want to continue reading this…"

"What are you scared of, huh?" the general inquired, arching an eyebrow.

Finn blushed. He had no idea of how he would explain him that he was afraid of the truth, afraid of not being Flame Princess' first and only love. He was afraid of himself as well. How will Finn know if he would be able to cope with a truth he thought he had already accepted?

It would be better to hear it straight from Flame Princess' lips. She could soften the harshness of the revelation if she truly felt compassion toward him, unlike a piece of paper, which would state things the way they were, cold and tactless.

What if he wasn't the humble hero he thought he was after all? Finn had done terrible things in the past out of selfishness, which meant that he was capable of acting out of alignment.

_Ice King hasn't been picking fights with you, it's...it's been me all along._

What if he felt his pride had been stomped over?

_Jeez! Did I just get shown up by Cinnamon Bun?_

What if he did care about Flame Princess' intimate life?

_Your wavelengths are my weakness, _

_Your emissions are what I've been missing…_

What if he developed a grudge on Flanella because of this?

_How could I get mad at you, when you're the cutest little thing that has ever happened to me!_

His hands trembled, crumpling up the paper between his fingers. It was too much pressure. The answer to all of his questions was there. Why did it matter if he liked the truth or not? What was there to lose? Nothing could change his feelings towards Flame Princess, could it?

"I-I can't read this." he admitted.

"Then why don't you just shove that paper up your butt and head back to battle? Hopefully you'll get killed and this nightmare will be finally over!"

The Flame General glared at him, waiting in silence for the human's reply.

"W-what?!" Finn blurted out, springing up in defiance.

"Yeah, I thought you'd be different after that little show you displayed back there! I even got my other arm bunked up for you, only to find out that you are a big coward baby! You don't love my sister, you just love yourself!"

"That' not true!" he screamed, angry and deeply offended.

"Of course it is!" the general snapped, "It's not her who you are trying to defend! It is yourself and your pathetic pride! So what if the baby is not yours? What if Flame Princess got in bed with another man? It's not like she belonged to you anyway, did she?! You were the one who dumped her in the first place!"

Finn flinched, speechless.

"If you're not going to prove me wrong and read that letter like a man, why don't you just get out of my sight?!" he spat on the ground, averting his blazing eyes from the astonished human. "Cowards like you make me sick!"

Finn tightened his grip on the piece of paper and ran outside, carrying Cinnamon Bun's lance with him. Jake 2 barked and sprang up after him. The hero ignored where was he heading to, all he wanted was to run, run in a straight line until the pain of his wounds forced him to collapse in the middle of nowhere.

It wasn't the truth he was afraid of. It was himself, his dark vicious self. Blaming Cinnamon Bun for being the cause his disgrace was easy. He spent all of his teenage-hood jealous of him, why wouldn't he be jealous now?

There was a rock lying about his chosen path. Finn tripped with it and fell, rolling on his aching back to face the clouded skies above him. Exhausted, weak, and injured, the young man finally crumbled, letting a few desperate tears wet his cheeks. _Flame Princess_ he thought, remembering the last time he saw her, the last kiss she gave him.

_I can't afford to keep losing the few people I truly care about in battle once again, especially not the only man I've ever loved…_

"I love you too." He whispered to the emptiness before him.

Finn reached out for his pocket and pulled the letter out.

Then, he wiped out his tears and read it.

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**Comments/reactions/critics, anything will be highly appreciated! Thanks for reading! Hope you guys are enjoying this!**


	9. Act IX: The High Priestess

_**Flanella**_

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_**Act IX: **__**The High Priestess**_

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"_The High Priestess is the indicative of one who is naturally diplomatic. She depicts one who is forever in search of knowledge. The High Priestess is a complex lady who needs to remain very grounded, __someone who is supportive and who makes for an effective mediator. This woman is highly intelligent _—_however, as an observer rather than a participant, she represents manipulation, a pause in an ongoing progress or even a standstill, stirring doubt, confusion and chaos."_

–**Tarot, Major Arcana**

Back in the Candy Kingdom, unaware of the perilous events that were currently taking place in the Fire Kingdom, an extensive investigation was being carried out. Heeding Princess Bubblegum's call, Captain Root Beer Guy brought Jake the Dog and Marceline the Vampire Queen (in representation of Finn the Human) to the depths of her underground laboratory. Their mission was simple: search for clues that could lead them to the shameless thief, who had stolen the princess' very important "something".

But what was that "something"? And how would they begin a search if they didn't even know what were they looking for? It would be easy to just ask Bubblegum —if only she herself knew what had been stolen from her. Much to everyone's discomfort, it was true. Bonnibel Bubblegum herself had no idea of what had gone missing. She just knew it had. According to Root Beer Guy's previous investigation, supported by Peppermint Butler's declaration, Princess Bubblegum couldn't tell what had been taken from her because of the humongous mishmash that her laboratory was.

Jake and Marceline had to agree with this despite of Bubblegum's scowl. The princess' research lab was a chaotic frenzy of broken glasses, malfunctioning contraptions, and six months old pizza slices. Withered plants that no longer served the purpose of brightening the chamber with blossoming flowers, fell apart leaf by leaf in the corners. The squeaks of little rats, running about or simply enjoying their new residences —within the multiple piles of trash that flooded the floor, could be heard in the silence. Strange glowing liquids oozed through the crevices in the walls, pervading the environment with an unbearable stench that was making both the dog and the vampire dizzy because of their sensible noses.

And that was only the tip of the iceberg. In conciliation with Captain Root Beer Guy's report, Princess Bubblegum's laboratory infringed 75 of the 80 sanitary and hygienic measures of the Candy Kingdom's law. If she didn't do something about it in the next 48 hours, the corresponding authorities would soon have to be forced to close down the perimeter.

Thus, to avoid the closing of her working area and to find out what had exactly been stolen from her, Princess Bubblegum proposed an intense cleaning session, followed by the making of a complete inventory of her laboratory's goods. Somewhat apprehensive towards the situation, Jake, Marceline and Root Beer Guy, along with a squad of Banana Guards, proceeded to carry out the titanic task of tidying up Bubblegum's unhealthy lab.

It didn't take long however, for Marceline to get sidetracked from her assigned job. It consisted in organizing a vast collection of encyclopedias in alphabetical order (and in accordance to their respective volumes), as she could easily reach the highest bookshelves and put them where they belonged. Sure, floating from one side of the room to the other was an amusing activity for the baby elemental in her arms, until she grew nauseous and the contents in her tummy had to be purged.

"Oh no!" Marceline gasped, "I know that face! It's the puke face!"

Tossing the books aside, Marceline dashed to the nearest trashcan, holding Flanella in front of her at a good arm distance. If only the other bananas in charge of the cleaning process hadn't turned the laboratory into an obstacle course with their ladders, brooms, hoses and detergent buckets, the vampire would have probably made it before Flanella's cheeks spew out the stomach juices that she could no longer contain.

"Hold it! Hold it! We're almost there–aw, man…"

Marceline let out an anguished hiss, noticing the vomit that now covered what seemed to be archives of great significance. Princess Bubblegum noticed it as well soon enough. She promptly arrived with a clipboard in her hands and a frown in her brow.

"The idea is to clean the mess, not to make it bigger!"

"I'm aware of that but–!" the vampire tried to rebuke.

"No! I told you to leave that baby at the daycare if you were not going to let me analyze her DNA!" Bubblegum crossed her arms, in disapproval. "I don't understand what's going on between Finn and Flame Princess, or why she sent her daughter here after she literally kicked me out of her castle…"

Marceline had to cover her lips to hide a mocking snicker, act that displeased the pink woman with the lab coat in front of her considerably.

"Hey, listen! A lab it's no place for an infant! It isn't safe for her, and certainly she's more of a burden to you than an extra hand. Do I need to stress once again how important it is for us to get this place clean? I may not be entirely sure about what is it that we need to find, but I do know that if it falls in the wrong hands it could—!"

"Alright, alright! I get it, Bonnie. I promise it won't happen again."

Princess Bubblegum sighed, relaxing a bit. "Good. Now take her somewhere safe and get back to work. I don't even want to imagine the trouble you might get us in with the Fire Kingdom if something were to happen to that child."

Watching the pink princess walk away, Marceline shook her head and turned her gaze back to Flanella. The baby looked upset, still not feeling well. Worried, she searched for Jake, hoping he would know what to do. Sadly, the old dog was nowhere to be seen. Marceline bit her lower lip in concern as she floated back to the library area.

Perhaps she would find something useful in one of the books of Bubblegum's immense collection. She browsed among the biology section and picked a few that seemed to have something to do with diseases. Then, she sat on the floor, resting her back against the large shelf and laying Flanella between her crossed legs.

"Now let's see…" Marceline murmured, holding up a book with a white cover. "Fluctuations of the Vassal—what?" she scratched the back of her head, trying to figure the meaning of the complex words before her. "What a load of junk!"

She tossed the white book and picked up another. Flanella stared closely at the white colored one and then turned to discover that her caretaker was reading a bright purple one. Charmed by the colorful range of books surrounding the vampire, Flanella giggled in excitement.

"What now, huh? Colors make you happy?" Marceline wondered, waving her hand along the book collection behind her.

Flanella chuckled, clapping her tiny hands softly.

Marceline smiled. "I guess it makes sense. After all, everything in the Fire Kingdom is mostly red. I bet it must be kinda boring for ya, huh?"

An idea sparked in her brain. She quickly turned back and grabbed a blue book while Flanella stared curiously at her. With a sudden spin, Marceline presented the color blue with a "Ta-da~!", earning an entertained chortle from the little girl. It was working. The more colors she showed to Flanella, the more the baby seemed to forget about her stomachache.

Princess Bubblegum passed by, checking on everyone's chores and progress. When she came across Marceline's little game, she couldn't help to roll her eyes in resignation. Well, at least the vampire was doing a good job on keeping the baby away from the hazardous chemicals that were spread around the major part of her lab.

She remained silent then, analyzing the sudden changes on Flanella's physical composition, from a distance. Jake was right, some of the baby's traits were the same as Finn's now, but how could that be possible? Oh, if only they would let her take a small blood sample from Flanella! That genetic enigma was too juicy to ignore, especially for Bubblegum's thirsty intellect. How come both Jake and Marceline were so protective over that child if they barely knew her? It was as if they too believed she was actually Finn's daughter. Such a proof-less fact could only make her left eye twitch in exasperation. Curiosity was killing her.

_I'll have to wait for a chance to make my move, I guess. _Bubblegum thought as she nibbled the tip of her pen. _I'm not doing anything wrong, right? It's in the name of science!_

"Whatcha think about color… yellow!" Marceline continued, making Flanella laugh. "That's what I thought, quite cheerful, eh? Not my type of color, though."

There was a green book titled _"Of Bacteria & other Microscopic Bing-bongs"_, that stood out from the rest that Marceline had in her reach. She gave a grin to the little girl on her lap as she turned around to get it in her hands.

"You're gonna love this color! It's the same as your daddy's homeland, the Grasslands!"

Princess Bubblegum heard this and decided to casually meddle in. "Marcy," she sighed, "How many times do I have to tell you? Don't say that stuff to the poor child, you'll mess her brain up. There's no way for Finn to be her father!"

The vampire shrugged, raising her chin with pride. "He might not be her biological father, but life has taught me that it takes much more than that to become a true dad." _Right, Simon?_

Bubblegum folded her arms, scowling. "Using sentimentalism against my statement? How clever of you!" She gazed expectantly at Marceline, waiting for her to keep her silly exercise going. "You may proceed."

"Well, thank you, Your Majesty!" Marceline sarcastically replied. _Jeez, PB! What's wrong with you? _

She took the green book and shook it playfully in front of Flanella's face. Surprisingly, the baby didn't react at this. Marceline tried to present the new color in a more comical fashion, turning her body invisible as she made the book dance around her. Flanella stared quietly at it, shifting slowly with a yawn.

"Hey! I thought you'd really like this one!" Marceline protested as she reappeared in her place. "What is it? Green isn't your jam or what? Every other color I showed you was hilarious to ya! Why this one not?"

Flanella blinked, tilting her head.

"What's so boring about the color green? Please tell me!" the vampire begged, melting on the floor with a groan.

"Marceline, would you quit that?" Bubblegum complained, "Clearly, she's not interested in that color. Try another one and let the rest of us focus on getting our jobs done!"

"But it just doesn't make sense!" she whined impatiently.

Princess Bubblegum smacked her forehead in reply, deciding to approach her vampire friend in the hopes of getting her to stop making noise. She bent over, shooting a glance into Flanella's blue eyes. The little girl didn't seem sleepy or tired; she just wasn't as amused as before.

"Interesting." Bubblegum uttered, causing Marceline's curiosity to spark up.

"What?"

"Listen Marcy, you are her official caretaker, so I'll have to ask you for permission to check Flanella's eyes more closely."

Marceline furrowed her brow, spotting a brief smirk on Bubblegum's pink features. "It's not going to hurt her, is it?"

"What? Nah, absolutely not!" Bonnibel dismissed, taking the child in her arms without the vampire's actual consent.

"W-wait! Bonnibel!"

Princess Bubblegum hurried to the left wing of her laboratory, where most of her medical equipment was located. To Marceline's relief the new area wasn't a complete disaster like the others. At least it smelled nice, a combination of chlorine and hand sanitizer. Once she snapped out of her odor trance, Marceline rushed to Bubblegum's side. The candy princess had already placed Flanella on an examination table, and was ready to work her science on her.

"You better not do anything weird to her, or I'll let Finn know!"

"Relax, Marceline!" Princess Bubblegum insisted, "I promise not to harm Flanella in any way!"

Marceline puffed her cheeks, glaring at her with mistrust. Ultimately, she let go of her breath and nodded, unaware that Bubblegum was crossing fingers behind her back. With a pleased smile, the princess returned to the baby elemental and opened a drawer on her right. She pulled three lollipops of different flavors: cherry, key lime, and grape. Marceline watched carefully, tapping her upper arms with her fingers.

"Look what I got for you, Flanella!" Bubblegum cheered, holding up the cherry and the key lime lollipops at the same time!"

This drew the child's attention, yet it didn't last long. The distant echo of glass crashing and breaking, followed by Jake's pitiful groan in the back of the lab, distracted her immediately.

"Interesting." Princess Bubblegum repeated.

"What?" Marceline anxiously replied.

"Shh, Marcy!" she said, switching the key lime lollipop for the grape flavored one. "Here Flanella! Look, what a great difference this tiny change made!"

Flanella's blue eyes widened at the sight of the purple candy, causing her to stretch her short arms in an attempt to snatch it. Princess Bubblegum grinned, leaning closer to the baby. She obstructed Marceline's view for a second in the middle of the action. It was Flanella's sudden crying what forced the vampire to push Bubblegum aside.

"What did you do to her?!" she growled.

Princess Bubblegum frowned, "I don't know what are you talking about! She probably got scared because of this." She pulled out a small laser pointer, pressing a button on its tip to beam a ray of light upwards. "See? I was checking her corneas!"

Marceline moved forward and removed Flanella from the examination table, holding her firmly in her arms. "Then what's your diagnosis, huh?" she asked rather sharply.

"It's short-cone monochromacy. Put in simple words, color blindness. Flanella can't distinguish the difference between green and red hues, which is actually quite rare in females." Bubblegum shrugged, "But then again, how would I know? Nothing in this girl is particularly normal. And you won't let me make a proper research on her, would you?"

"Forget it, dude! You've done enough!" the vampire growled, trying her best to soothe Flanella's crying.

Seeing that Marceline couldn't get the baby elemental to settle down, the candy princess offered the grape lollipop to her with a gentle smile. Flanella sobbed softly, accepting the candy. Her childish smile returned slowly as she sucked the sweet treat.

"Well then!" Princess Bubblegum exclaimed, stretching her arms in a lazy motion. "I guess I must give up on analyzing her, huh?" Unexpectedly though, the princess made a sudden movement that ended up with her smacking the lollipop out of Flanella's hands. "Oh no! What have I done?"

The baby watched her treat fall onto the floor, exploding in tiny pieces afterwards. Her tranquil sobs quickly turned into loud whines one more time.

"Excellent job, Bonnibel!" Marceline yelled in annoyance, "Now I'll never get her to calm down!"

"I'm so sorry! That was very stupid of me!" Bubblegum then patted Marceline's shoulder, urging her to walk along, towards the door. "I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to leave 'till you manage to stop her crying."

"No joke! I wanted to leave this dump already, anyway!" the vampire replied, floating to the exit after forcing Bubblegum to release her. "You might want to check your brains while I'm gone, you donk!"

"Yeah, yeah! I will! Take care, Marceline!" she enthusiastically waved her hand, bidding them farewell. When Marceline and Flanella disappeared from sight, the princess quickly closed the door behind her with a relieved sigh. "I thought she'd never leave!"

The sound of running paws and an elastic body, stretching itself in her direction caused Bubblegum to set her eyes on the other side of the laboratory. There came Jake in a rush, his face wet with sweat and a nervous look in his dark round eyes. Such was his hurry that Princess Bubblegum had to step aside to avoid getting crushed by him, as he accidentally crashed against the door.

"W-where? Where is she?" Jake mumbled, still spinning from the contusion on his skull. "Where's Flanella? I thought I heard her crying! D-don't worry, Flanella! Your uncle Jake is here to… I'm here to…"

He fixed his eyes on the pink features of the candy ruler, hoping she'd give him an answer or at least show some concern. Princess Bubblegum instead unveiled a sneaky smile, a hint of triumph in her confident stare. Jake frowned, puzzled.

"Marcy and Flanella are not here anymore, are they?" his voice grew reproachful, "Peebs?"

"They left to get some fresh air." She replied, "I'm sure they'll be back pretty soon! In the meantime…" Jake noticed her pink fingers slipping a thin test tube out of her white pocket. "I've got an important analysis to work on!"

"Oh, Okay. Good luck with that, prin–wait! Wait a minute!" he barked.

Bubblegum turned back to him with a not quite convincing grin. "Yeah?"

"I might not be the most brilliant dude of the dudes that are brilliant, but I've got a trustworthy nose! And it's telling me that somethin' smells fishy here!"

Princess Bubblegum's fake smile crumbled, giving way to a remorseful explosion of contradicted emotions. "Alright, you got me! I took a blood sample from Flanella without anyone's consent! I even went as far as to slap her candy to make her cry, the perfect excuse to get Marceline out of here! But you gotta understand, Jake!"

"Understand what?"

"Understand… That it's physically impossible for Flame Princess' to conceive a child! And it's impossible for her child to share some resemblance with Finn, when her father is explicitly inferred to be Cinnamon Bun! And now I don't even know what I'm talking about, 'cause I have just contradicted my own statements by admitting that Flame Princess might have actually conceived—well…" she shook her head in an attempt to clear her ideas. "Oh, Jake! Don't you see? This mystery exceeds the boundaries of my scientific knowledge! Don't you wanna know how it happened?"

Jake lowered his head, unsure. "Jeez PB, I-I… I don't wanna betray my bro's trust… He said he didn't care to know the truth and I gotta respect his wish…!"

Bubblegum shoved the blood sample in front of his eyes, inducing him to temptation. "I mean, don't you want to know how it came to be? Aren't your hands itching with curiosity to embrace the truth? Who or what is Flanella?" she passed her arm over his shoulders, pulling him close. "The answer, my friend, is right here…"

They both contemplated the test tube, trembling in excitement.

"Finn will get mad at me when he finds out."

"Finn doesn't have to know." The princess whispered.

Jake gritted his teeth, clenching his eyes forcefully. His gut, his brain, and his heart deliberated in an intense debate. Feelings of fraternity clashing against his deepest snooping wishes, his stomach rumbling with hunger. It was too much for an old magical dog.

Finally, he screamed.

"No! It's too much! I can't do this! I want to, but I don't want to!" he groaned, pointing a blaming finger at Princess Bubblegum's nose. "You go and betray Finn's trust in the name of scientific curiosity if you want! I don't wanna be a part of this!"

"Fine." She shrugged, walking to a nearby computer. "Your loss, friend."

Bubblegum sat on her chair and began to process the sample, placing a drop of the snatched blood on an electronic microscope. Jake watched her, biting his fingernails as she studied the molecular composition in the sample. Intrigued, Bubblegum turned to her computer screen, entering some sort of data. She waited anxiously until a "bip!" sound confirmed that the analyzing process was ready. Jake couldn't stand it. He desperately wanted to know what were the results that were appearing before the pink princess.

His resolution broke.

"What? What is it? What's the verdict, PB? Please let me see that!" he begged urgently, slamming his stretched body all over the monitor.

Bubblegum smirked, "I thought you didn't wish to know!"

"Yeah but I'm weak!" the dog cried, "I'm weak! My will's so weak; I can't live with my shame! Or maybe, I can?" he eyed the screen and returned to the princess, "What does all that junk and numbers mean?"

She rubbed her chin, studying the DNA chains in her screen. With a tab on her keyboard, the computer zoomed in on what was supposed to be a strand of the DNA double helix. She groaned, conflicted by the unusual image in the screen. Jake grew conflicted as well, although he couldn't understand anything.

"Well, what is it?" he asked.

"It's just that…" Bubblegum stammered, "No… Impossible!"

"What?"

"Unbelievable!"

"What?!"

"It's unprecedented!"

**"What?!"**

"How is Finn going to react to this? I hope he doesn't take it personal…!"

"WHAT?" Jake cried, shaking Bubblegum's shoulders from one side to the other. "For the love of Glob, speak now!"

Princess Bubblegum faced him. A perplexed expression filled her pink features. "Well I… this… All I can say is that… Nothing makes sense!" she bit her thumbnail, "Unless… Oh no…"

Jake let go of her, nervous. "I-is s-something the m-matter, PB?"

"Jake," she firmly declared. "I know **what** was stolen from my lab."

_**x~x~x~x~x**_

Past the giant walls that enclosed the candy city, Marceline found herself heading to the Cotton Candy Forest. The last hours of that fading night were fresh, and peaceful. Flanella was still sobbing weakly in her arms, sucking her tiny thumb repeatedly. It wasn't a common behavior on her. During all her time caring for her, Marceline never noticed Flanella doing that. It was well known that babies had to be taught not to get their fingers in their mouths as a safety measure. And she supposed Flame Princess had instructed her daughter wisely. It must be something else, she concluded.

Hoping Flanella hadn't cut her finger with a piece of broken glass, or some sort of pointy tool in Princess Bubblegum's lab, the vampire delicately pulled the baby's thumb out of her mouth. The feeble scent of blood reached her nostrils, however the tiny wound on Flanella's skin wasn't a cut or a scrape, it was a prick. Suddenly, everything became clear.

"Bonnibel…!" Marceline angrily hissed.

The rustling of nearby leaves directed her attention to a cotton tree on her right. Was it the wind? No, she didn't recall feeling a breeze earlier. Alarmed, Marceline floated down and landed, letting her sharp hearing pick up every suspicious sound near her surroundings.

Another rustle came. It was faster this time. Marceline followed it, feeling her anxiousness building up within her.

"What's that? Who's there?" she growled, "Come here or else I'll have to drag you out!"

A distant caw echoed in the darkness.

_A raven?_ She wondered, _or maybe…_

Her nose picked a new scent, "It smells like… a rabbit?" Marceline turned her head, searching frantically. "A rabbit… a crow… a… Crabbit!"

_I knew it was him!_

Fortunately, her body moved fast enough to doge an incoming hit. There it was. As she leaned to the opposite side, a black curled fist grazed her pale skin, causing her tumble down. Her wild instincts took over. Marceline sprung upwards to meet the vicious stare of the dark entity flying right above her. Holding Flanella tightly against her chest, she lunged over her foe, intending to deliver a powerful blow in response.

Crabbit stumbled to the ground in recoil, shaking the punch off his now bruised cheek. Marceline landed in front of him. She threw her arm onto her back, reaching out for her axe bass. A concerned gasp left her system; she wasn't carrying it with her. With a nervous gulp, the vampire stepped back a little. It wasn't that she couldn't take the Crabbit with her bare fists on her own. What worried her greatly was Flanella's safety.

_Globdammit! Now what am I supposed to do? Run away from this freak? _

She looked ahead, glimpsing the imposing silhouettes of the Gumball Guardians. The Candy Kingdom wasn't that far. If she flew fast enough, she would have a chance to make it.

"Hold on tight, Flanella!"

Marceline leapt forward, stepping on the Crabbit's head to gain more propulsion. The hybrid's flinching gave her some advantage, taking her into the night before he could even wonder what had hit him.

Swift as an arrow, Marceline sped herself up, summoning her bat wings in an attempt to cover more distance in less time. She turned her head back, searching for Maja's Familiar on her tail. There was no sign of him, which gave her a little relief.

"Seems like we're faster than that creep, don't you think?" she chuckled, reassuring the baby elemental with her grip.

"I wouldn't be so sure!"

Out of nowhere, the winged humanoid shot himself against the vampire's body, causing her to budge back. Marceline bared her fangs, aiming to take down her foe with a claw swipe. Crabbit skillfully spun away, losing some distance with her, but ducking the fierce blow nonetheless. His wings flapped at a greater speed in pursue of the vampire. With a hasty dash, he managed to charge into Marceline for the second time, albeit more violently.

She felt Flanella slip from her grasp. It was already hard enough to focus on the path ahead and the hybrid harassing her flight. Taking care of the baby made it all more difficult. Gritting her fangs, Marceline resolved to make a sudden turn and change her direction, hoping to confuse Crabbit and lose him. For a moment it worked, unfortunately it couldn't last long.

The figure of Crabbit's large body struck the air, sending her backwards. Marceline barely stopped her fall, managing to keep herself airborne as her enemy blocked her way. His silence and the smug grin in his face ate Marceline's patience away.

"What now?! What's so funny, huh?!" she growled.

"Nothing, I just wanted to say…" he flew out of Marceline's view, revealing the shimmering sun rays of the break of dawn behind him. "Good morning, Marceline!"

The light of day bathed the sky, burning Marceline's skin. The direct exposure blinded her, forcing the vampire to shield her eyes with both hands —as she unconsciously let go of Flanella. She quickly realized what she had done, plunging downwards after the crying baby. The golden glow of the sun became stronger, consuming her wings before she could grasp the frantic child. It was then that Crabbit dashed by, seizing Flanella away from her.

**"No!"**

Marceline helplessly witnessed how the dark hybrid vanished through a portal, as her melting body crashed near the main road to the Candy Kingdom. There were no shadows to restrain her agony, yet nothing could be as painful as the fact of having failed so miserably to such a dear friend, Finn.

"F-Flanella… I'm sorry."

* * *

_**I'm so happy about the lots of good reactions that the last chapter got. Thanks a million, dear readers! Hope this chapter was as enjoyable as the last one! I'll try to post the next one as soon as possible!**_


	10. Act X: The Eagle

_**Flanella**_

* * *

_**Act X: The Eagle**_

* * *

"_The eagle represents a highly evolved face of one self, who has transcended its tribulations and flies high into the sky, like the mythological phoenix rising out of its ashes. It represents a state of grace, achieved through hard work, understanding, and a completion of the tests required to achieve personal power."_

–**Animals, Symbols of the Tarot**

According to the ancient mythology passed down by our family, before the birth of our kingdom, the Endless Ocean covered most the lands in Ooo, even the fire ones, along with the Infinite Sky up above. Nothing but a lofty mountain stood firmly amongst that vastness. Its summit was the home of the Solar Kingdom, ruled by King Sol, at the beginning of the Old Era.

The inhabitants of the Solar Kingdom gladly shared their territory with the Sky tribe, wandering sorcerers who stopped by at the end of the harvesting season every year, in search of a place to rest before resuming their traveling. It was during one of those visits that King Sol met Kaja, the only member of the Sky tribe born without any magical attributes. Kaja however, was the sister of one of the greatest enchantresses of her time. But little did she know that her sister had grown envious of her relationship with King Sol.

With every month that passed, Kaja's older sister let her soul be slowly corrupted by jealousy and anger. She couldn't understand why King Sol had fallen in love with such a powerless girl, instead of setting his eyes on her, a master of wizardry. The enchantress' resentment blinded her. It impeded her from ever noticing that the hero of the Solar Kingdom, a young lad called Kokko, had feelings for her —feelings that existed before she became obsessed with King Sol, when she was humble and kind.

With the arrival of a new year, and the end of another harvesting season, King Sol married Kaja. Her sister never forgave her after that. She abandoned the Sky tribe, swearing to return one day, thirsty for revenge. Many moons later, Kaja gave birth to a young prince. Half-sun being and half-humanoid, that little boy became the first fire elemental to ever exist. He was the first of our race.

This event didn't go unnoticed by her wicked sister, who had found the means to carry out her sinister plan. She turned her magic power to the dark and forbidden, losing the light within her. More as a witch than an enchantress, Kaja's corrupted sister stole the newborn baby from his mother and flew off to the edge of the mountain, threatening to toss the little prince into the Endless Ocean. King Sol fought desperately to put an end to the witch's revengeful actions, yet during the struggle, he lost balance and sank in the depths of the sea. His body still burned with the fervor of the sun, boiling the waters.

Young Kokko had been late to save the king, but he wouldn't fail to rescue his prince. The hero turned to the desperate mother for help, asking her to give him wings to fly. Kaja wasn't gifted with the ability to cast magic spells, yet her wish to save her son granted her the power she lacked. To her sister's amusement, Kaja's first inexperienced spell transformed Kokko into a bird. His iron armor made his body as resistant as that of the metallic element and his wings burned with the blaze of his solar nature.

The evil sorceress let go of the fiery child, prompting Kokko to dive into the evaporating ocean. For a moment it seemed both the baby and the hawk had been dissolved in the water, miraculously that wasn't case. Kokko emerged victorious. He returned the prince to his mother's embrace and then confronted the woman he once loved. Even if she weren't blinded by hate, she would never understand why the hero forgave her life and she would never know either. For the spell on Kokko couldn't be reversed.

Once defeated, Kaja along with the other members of the Sky tribe, condemned the weakened witch to an eternal curse. For all of her existence, she would have to wander the dry lands where the Endless Ocean once reigned —her magic powers bound to the limits of pure sentimental affection, which her hardened heart could no longer feel or contain.

That was the last time the name of the Sky Witch was heard in the Solar Kingdom. As for Kokko, the hero who was transformed into a firebird, he chose to remain at the side of the young prince and his descendants, protecting them for all eternity…

"_You see now, Flanella?" Flame Princess smiled as she cradled her baby to sleep. "Kokko is still here with us, there's nothing to fear. You can dream of faraway lands, venture away from home… and whenever you feel lonely, just make a wish, and Kokko will bring you back to me…" _

_**x~x~x~x~x**_

A Gumball Guardian made its way through the city, causing every house and every villager to hover briefly with each heavy foot that stomped the ground. It moved at a considerable speed, holding its hands cupped together as if carrying something within them. A cloaked figure traveled on the giant's shoulder, standing firmly as he pointed in direction to the Candy Palace.

When they arrived, the cloaked being jumped inside through a window and then asked the gigantic robot to hand over the mysterious load within its grasp. It was Marceline the Vampire Queen, who, although she seemed to be in better conditions than a few minutes ago, remained unconscious, and had yet to regain her strength. The hooded stranger thanked the Gumball Guardian and then ran swiftly down the stairs, heading towards Princess Bubblegum's laboratory.

The candy princess was still staring at her computer, just as distressed as the yellow bulldog next to her. The door was suddenly burst open, revealing the cloaked being with the defeated vampire in his arms behind it. Bubblegum recognized him despite of his hidden features and sprung to defend his identity.

"Everybody get out, **NOW**!" she yelled, cupping her hands around her mouth. "Feel free to pass by the royal kitchen and get some snacks and coffee! Thanks for your attention!"

A line of relieved banana guards began to flow through the door, all of them excited to finally rest and eat some breakfast. Jake was also moving with them at the end of the line. Sadly for him, Princess Bubblegum clutched his tail and pulled him back.

"Everyone but you, Jake!"

"But… the kitchen! Breakfast!" he groaned.

A glare from the princess was enough to quit his complaining. When the last banana guard closed the door, the hooded stranger stepped forward, presenting the unconscious Marceline in his arms.

"Sir Rattleballs, what's the meaning of this?" Bubblegum demanded, hurrying to the vampire's aid.

"I found her dying under sun, near the main road." He calmly explained, "I suppose something attacked her."

"Attacked her?"

"Oh Glob, no!" Jake cried.

He stretched toward Marceline and began to pat her cheeks, trying to induce her back to consciousness. The fact that Flanella wasn't with her worried him gravely. Finally, after a few slaps, the vampire emitted a soft groan and stirred gently, opening her eyes.

"Where? What?" Marceline whispered as her senses slowly returned, "Ack, my head!"

She held her throbbing skull, sending a glance to her surroundings. Princess Bubblegum and Jake stared back at her in concern, while an unknown gumball machine kept her from stumbling onto the floor.

"Oh great, you guys are here! How's Flanella doing, huh? I bet that was a huge scare for her, poor thing…"

Bubblegum and Jake exchanged afflicted glances, and then the princess mustered enough courage to speak up. "Marcy… Flanella didn't come with you… Rattleballs found you only. There wasn't anybody else, right?"

Replying to his princess conflicted stare, Rattleballs nodded. "I patrolled the vicinity, there was nothing on sight that could seem suspicious. I'm sorry."

"What?!" Marceline forced the robot to let go of her. She moved around the lab, lifting her nose in search of Flanella's scent. No sign of the baby was found. She had lost her. "Oh no… **He** kidnaped Flanella for real!"

"Who?" Jake inquired with equal desperation, "Where's my bro's little girl?"

Marceline eyed the magical dog, glaring at Bubblegum afterwards. "I know who took her and I know where to find them! Give me something to veil my body from the sun and I'll be on my way!"

"Huh! Just like that?" Princess Bubblegum approached the vampire, laying her pink hands on her pale shoulders. "Listen, you're not going anywhere. Not in that condition at least. Tell us who attacked you and how to find them, we'll take care of the rest."

Marceline frowned and with an angry hiss, slapped Bubblegum's hands away from her. "You'll take care of this? You?! You couldn't even take care of the baby when we had her in here!" she threw her arm forward, pushing the candy princess back in a rough manner. "Stay out of my way, Bonnibel! You don't care about Flanella anyways!"

Princess Bubblegum caught Marceline's hand before she could leap off. She held it tightly, ordering the vampire to stay. "You are right." the princess said. "I haven't showed signs of actually caring for that baby, besides expressing my wish to analyze her DNA." She gulped nervously. "I must admit my pride impeded me to develop empathic feelings for her. Flame Princess and I aren't exactly close friends, and I doubt someday we might be."

Marceline arched an eyebrow, incredulous.

Bubblegum sighed, averting her eyes from Marceline's. "Even if I don't like Flame Princess that much, I should've, at the very least, respected Finn's will and feelings. Flanella was his responsibility and as his friends, she was ours too. Now the child is gone and it's all my fault. I was the one who manipulated you into leaving the security of the castle. Which means, it's my duty to find Flamella and bring her back safe and sound."

"Um, PB?" Jake coughed, "It's Flanella, not Flamella."

"Ahem! Yes, exactly!" the princess blushed. "As I was saying, I'm responsible for the kid's disappearance, so I must be the one to go out and find her. Tell me Marceline, who ambushed you?"

The vampire clenched her teeth, releasing a hiss. "Maja's Crabbit!"

Bubblegum's determined features quickly faded into a troubled frown. "What? What would Maja want with Flame Princess' child?"

"Who's this _Maja_?" Jake asked, raising a hand. "And what's a cab-…carrit… crappy?

Ignoring the dog's questions, Marceline crossed her arms and replied. "Beats me, but it can't be good! Listen, if you're gonna do something about it, you better do it right away! 'Cause I'm gonna search for Flanella in this instant!"

"So, you think that old witch hasn't changed her location since the last time we met?"

That statement forced Marceline to freeze in her steps. Princess Bubblegum chuckled as she approached her, "It's alright. I've tracked Maja the Sky Witch before, I'm sure I can do it again! What do you say, Marcy? Would you… accept my help and… my humble apologies?"

After tapping the candy floor with her boot and thinking it for a moment, the vampire relaxed her tensed muscles and nodded in agreement. "Fine, Bonnie. You're in…"

"Wait! What about me? What should I do?"

"I'm glad you asked, Jake!" Bubblegum smiled as she petted his head. "I need you to stay here and make sure the banana guard finish their job on cleaning the lab! More importantly though, check the inventory after it's done and call me if either the Candy Life formula or my _special_ spoon have gone missing, is that clear?"

As Jake retreated with a lazy groan, Sir Rattleballs stepped in front of her and bowed briefly. "Should I accompany you and your friend on your rescue mission, Princess Bubblegum?"

The candy princess shook her head. "No, Rattleballs. I need you to stay here and watch after the Candy Kingdom in my absence."

"Very well, Highness."

"Excellent! Okay, Marceline… Let's go upstairs and gather some traveling gear!" Bubblegum raised a fist in determination, "Let's go save Flamella!"

"It's Flanella!" Marceline, Jake, and Sir Rattleballs corrected in unison.

"Yeah, what you guys said!"

_**x~x~x~x~x**_

Finn felt the sun rays warming his skin, however pleasant, it was a concerning sign. His flame shield must have started to weaken. There was no time to waste and so he sat up to find Jake 2, waiting for him. The young man smiled; with the wolf's help it would be easier to reach his next destination. Cinnamon Bun's lance lied on the ground, shining a vivid orange glow as its metallic surface reflected the dawning skies of fire.

Finn picked it up, letting his mind wander as he thought of the many battles in which the brave candy knight had fought with it. Cinnamon Bun wanted him to have it and wield it to defend Flame Princess. Perhaps the time had come to give the noble weapon the use it was forged for. Sighing, the hero passed the leather strap, in which the heavy lance was hooked, over his shoulders and adjusted it so that it fitted the size of his torso.

Finn regretted the action a second later, as the weight of the weapon made pressure against his injured chest. Over the dry blood that caked his torn shirt, new strings of the crimson liquid began to leak out of his wound. Yet, as long as he ignored the pain, it didn't matter to him. There were enough bandages in his back pact to treat his injuries later. So, after pressing his hand on his chest to ease the ache a little, Finn hopped onto Jake 2's neck and rode back to Flame Princess' brother's side.

The contents of the letter Cinnamon Bun wrote for him, he repeated them over and over again in his mind. _Don't blame her… It's not her fault… Flame Princess wasn't fully aware of the decisions I had taken… She doesn't know the whole truth… It pained me to keep this as a secret from her, but I knew she wouldn't have accepted it in any other way… I did it, Finn. I'm the one you should complain about. I couldn't afford to ask you for permission… I could only hope you'd love Flanella as much as I do… Please, please watch over her. It doesn't matter if you do it in secret, or from a distance as long as you take care of her. Because you..._

_You are her true father… _

"I know what I have to do." Finn whispered, as Jake 2 huffed and puffed at its top speed. "I must reach Flame Princess' side, no matter what! J2, I'm sorry, but once we return to the Flame General, you'll have to go on your own and take him to a doctor or somethin'…"

"I'll go back to the battlefield and I'll let myself get captured by the enemy!" the fire wolf heard the human gulp down, frightened. "With enough luck, if they don't kill me in the place… they might drag me to wherever they're holding FP prisoner. I know it's not a safe plan, but it's the only one I've got. The Fire Kingdom needs its king, and I need to tell her the truth."

"That way, if I die here, she'll know… She'll know there's something that still binds our lives together, something worth fighting for… Our little Flanella."

_**x~x~x~x~x**_

Flanella stirred in Crabbit's arms, taking some air before breaking into tears again. Where was she? It was such a strange and cold place, ruined and decayed.

It was dark, and she was scared. No one would come to comfort her; no one would keep her safe. Where were her mom and dad? Why did daddy Finn leave? Why suddenly everyone had abandoned her? She was weak and helpless, lost in a frightening place. Flanella shivered and cried louder, calling out for her mother, who would never come to rescue her.

"Maja this thing is making too much noise!" Crabbit groaned, "Can we kill it now?"

The witch remained unresponsive, staring deeply into her cauldron. As the smoke rose and the flames consumed the wood, bubbles burst and plopped back into the brew. Ominous shadows danced on the walls, and across her face. Kill it now? Kill the fiery child? Would it be that easy this time, would it be just as satisfactory? No. It would be a million times better if the mother were there to see it. To have the Flame King weeping and screaming, as her disgusting offspring drowned in the boiling waters, wouldn't that be more tasteful?

Isn't that what her sickening race deserves?

"Um, Maja?"

She smirked, setting her furious eyes on the baby elemental for the first time. The physic resonance coming from Flanella was strong and fresh with tears of love, sacrifice and suffering. Oh, what an exquisite bundle of emotions. And there were still so many more to trigger out of her and the people that surrounded her. If she played her cards correctly, Maja knew Flanella could grow to be the most important ingredient in her brew. The one that would grant her limitless power, the one that would let her seize victory and put an end to the cycle of the sun. Darkness would soon reign…

Crabbit gulped, sensing Maja's presence at a threatening distance. The witch looked down at the distressed baby, stroking her wet cheeks with her cold fingers. Chills ran down Flanella's spine, intensifying her incessant crying.

"_So, that vampire tranch couldn't protect you, huh? Serves y'all well!"_ her evil features softened, _"Oh, but don't cry. Don't blame me for what's going to happen to you. It was your mother the one who brought you into this world, and to me! Your pathetic little mind is still too young to understand that unlike other useless babies, you weren't born out of love. No, you were created to serve a shallow purpose. All your mother cares about is her precious kingdom… And to her you're nothing but one of the lies she wishes she'd never said to the world!"_

Maja stopped caressing Flanella's cheek. She retracted her hand with a quick movement, opening a scrape on the baby's skin with her nails. _"Don't worry, I'll end your meaningless existence when the right time comes! Can't you see I am your only savior? I will give your miserable life a better purpose!" _

"T-then what am I supposed to do with her while your plans reach their climax, and we send her to **him**, eh?" Crabbit mumbled, "Put her in a cage with the other animals?"

"_Yeah! And while you are at it, lock yourself in that room too! I don't want you, weenus, bothering me while I carry out the final preparations! Go! Disappear from my sight, now!"_

"Jeez, Maja… You grow crazier by the day… I've been serving you for centuries and I still don't get what's all this junk about…" he stared at Flanella. The little girl was still wailing disconsolately. "What if this thing never shuts up? I don't think I'll stand it any longer!"

A blue zap fired at his feet forced him to close his beak. Maja glared at him then, raising her hand as it sparked with new energy beams. Crabbit got the message and dashed out, running through the door and flying into a hole on the ceiling. The witch sighed, lowering her threatening arm as she gripped her fingers into a fist. She turned to the window behind her. The sun was rising and its light could only make her sick.

"_Haven't you understood it yet, Crabbit? I'm at war with the world, and every living soul in it! Love… joy… sorrow… fear… What use do those emotions have, when I can't feel any! Anger is all I know, and I will live like this…forever! Why can't others share my curse?!"_ A grin was curved on her lips and soon it grew into a raging laughter. _"I will get my revenge… I will punish them all! When I regain my full power! I will make them live the way I live!"_

"_It will be my gift to the world that banished and betrayed me! No more pleasant emotions… just hate and anger until the end of time!"_

And she continued to laugh, relentlessly.

_**x~x~x~x~x**_

Crabbit kicked the door open, causing the creatures in the room to shriek, roar, bark and caw. The dark hybrid ignored their cries and moved forward, taking short glances of the multiple cages before him. He had to put Flanella in one of them, but it seemed there wasn't space for her. And he couldn't afford to get the baby inside one with a dangerous creature, at least not if Maja wanted to keep her alive for the moment. What to do? He could eat one to leave an empty space for Flanella. Yes, that would be it!

Which of those exotic species would be his dinner? Crabbit thought as he passed his tongue along his beak. Some of the animals were meant to be traded or sold in exchange of illegal enchantments and potions. While others were just waiting to be sacrificed as payment, depending on the deals and rituals that Maja performed with certain demonic entities.

Crabbit scratched the back of his head. If he didn't choose wisely he would get in trouble with his mistress. Then he remembered, Maja didn't say anything about the firebird he just captured one day ago! In fact, it was probable that she hadn't even noticed its presence there.

"It's done then, you'll be my dinner!" Crabbit claimed, approaching Kokko's cage.

The royal hawk opened his eyes, sensing the danger, as it grew closer to him. Needless to say, Kokko became aware of Flanella's crying and saw her in Crabbit's arms. He anxiously flapped his wings, desperate to stretch them and leap in the little princess' rescue. The other animals let out a groan in response to the eagle's alarmed behavior. Crabbit, on the other hand, paid no attention to any of it and focused on soothing the rumblies in his stomach. He naively opened Kokko's cage, hoping the bird would stay in his place as he laid his fingers around his neck to twist it and break it.

Kokko however, had a duty with the Fire Kingdom's royal family, and as soon as an exit to freedom appeared before him, he took it. The eagle darted out right in front of Crabbit's eyes like a golden flash. In his confusion, the hybrid stood frozen in astonishment, watching how Kokko flew in circles above him. It would be hard to snatch Flanella away from him. There was no room for a fight in that chamber and any sign of an ongoing disturbance would surely alert the witch.

There was no choice, Kokko would have to leave Flanella behind and hope for the best as he returned to his master's side. The Flame General would know what to do after he reveals the baby's location to him. Nodding to himself, Kokko charged right into Crabbit, causing him to shrink down with a surprised gasp as he burst out through a lonely window, and sored across Maja's sky dimension.

A small golden feather fell gently upon Flanella's tearful cheeks, caressing her softly. It magically healed the scrape in her skin, and a mysterious sense of calm engulfed her as she gripped it in her tiny hands. Her crying subsided.

"Ah, dang it!" Crabbit cursed, staring at the broken glass in resignation. "Oh well, how much harm can that little birdie do? I'm sure the mistress won't even notice!" he chuckled nervously.

With that, he tossed Flanella into Kokko's empty cage and locked her in. Then he waltzed across the room and reached an old phonograph. Crabbit carefully dusted off the cobwebs covering it and bent over to reach a large disc.

"'Glenn Miller – In the Mood'," he read, chuckling at the artist's archaic name. With an expectant smile, he placed the disc on the phonograph and then held his hands together at the level of his chest. "Well, I certainly am in the mood for dancing!"

As he wound up the small lever on the side of the music player, Crabbit continued to speak to himself. "One day I'll be a great dancer and Maja will regret ever making fun of me! And it will be like: …" He changed his tone into a high girly pitch, in a poor attempt to fake the witch's voice.

"'_Oh Crabbit, you shine like a star on the dance floor! Can you give me your autograph?'_ and I will be like: 'I don't know, Maja! You think you deserve it?' Humph!"

By this point the cheerful melody of a sax had filled the room, but it wasn't the sound of an invisible big band playing a jazzy swing what caught Flanella's curious attention. No, it was the sight of a self-fulfilled Crabbit, showing off his best fox-trot moves across the untidy chamber. She excitedly began to swing Kokko's feather to the rhythm, her fear and sadness forgotten, being as happy as she could be.

"Oh yeah, girl!" the hybrid exclaimed, in attendance of his new audience of one baby and a bunch of noisy animals. "Feel it!"

It could be that Crabbit wasn't that mean and evil after all. Perhaps he just was misunderstood? Only time would tell…

* * *

_**Author's Notes:**_

**I apologize for the delay with this chapter, I had a long busy weekend and I'm afraid this and the next week, I'll be just as occupied because of college. Of course, this means it might take me more time to update. I'm sorry, but life comes first. Anyway, hope you enjoyed this chapter! Thank you for your support!**


	11. Act XI: The Butterfly

_**Flanella**_

* * *

_**Act XI: The Butterfly **_

* * *

"_It symbolizes metamorphic transformation. It represents a person who is currently experiencing a change, allowing him to grow or evolve and follow a new direction. It is a change that has been coming for a long time, has been worked for, and is certain to happen. Like a butterfly emerging from its cocoon."_

–**Animals, Symbols of the Tarot**

Furnius erased the smirk on his face and stepped forward, ignoring Flame Princess' aggressive pose. He stood next to her, staring at the butterflies displayed on the wall. Flame Princess lowered her stance, following his actions cautiously. Her cousin turned to face her and chuckled. It had been years since the last time she met him, and like her, time had stolen away the childish traits in his features.

He stood two heads taller than her, his flames bulging out in a muscular build. A heavy armor, shaded in a dark red hue, coated most of his frame. The fire that grew about his chin and upper lips as facial hair certainly gave him an older appearance. Flame Princess felt like snickering. In the past no one ever expected Furnius to mature in the physical sense. He used to be a frustrated teenager, cursed to look "adorable" in the eyes of aged female elementals. Now however, something about the composed look in his eyes disturbed her growing nerves. And his forked tongue, snaking out of his lips to cause the characteristic _hiss_ inflection in his husky voice, wasn't exactly comforting either.

"Don't you dare think this ridiculous collection is mine, it belongs to someone you'd rather not hear about. My foolish brother still likes to run around like an idiot, catching petty butterflies!"

An irritated frown seized his features as he slammed his fiery fist against the wall, causing several crystal cases to fall and explode in pieces at their feet. Flame Princess cringed a little, never expecting such a violent reaction. Nonetheless, she didn't move an inch from her place, keeping a better watch on his next moves. Furnius began to laugh. First muffled by his now damaged hand, his voice slowly grew louder until he eyed his young cousin again.

"But I must confess, you are his greatest catch yet, dear cousin!"

"Quit mocking me, Furnius!" Flame Princess' eyes turned wild with anger, "If you think this is some kind of game, why don't you go back and play with your dumb toy soldiers? Or do you want me to punch your lights out instead?!"

The fact that she still had her powers boosted her confidence, however not knowing why Furnius allowed her to keep them, held her feet frozen to the ground. She could tell he was up to something, just what could it be? Furnius silenced his guffaw, walking past Flame Princess while she laid her gaze down in deep thought, wondering, considering what sort of dirty tricks was he keeping under his sleeve. The exiled prince reached the desk on the other side of the room. Placing his hand above the game board, he proceeded to move a few clay figurines further into the east.

"Toys?" he whispered, "Yeah… I've got myself an interesting game set recently. You won't believe how fun it can be to play with mud and a dash of black magic."

Flame Princess noticed him inviting her to come closer, and she did so unconsciously. The stings pulsing in her head struck her once more, causing the young woman to rest a hand on her forehead. Furnius stopped her in the middle of the action, running his fingers across Flame Princess' skin in her place. There was a deep cut about her hairline, possibly a consequence of her previous encounter with Torcho. A single drop of blood slipped out of the wound. Furnius caught it with the tip of his finger as he made some space between him and Flame Princess. She could only stare at him coldly as he examined her blood.

"The royal bloodline of our family has been kept pure for centuries and it was supposed to stay like that forever." he suddenly said, "But you… You dared to do the unimaginable, mixing our noble blood with that of a pitiful candy fool, to defend your right to the throne… A right that never corresponded to **you in the first place**!"

"You left me no choice!" Flame Princess yelled back. "Can't you see it is not the power I care about, but the safety of my people? How could I cede the throne to someone like you? It would have been the same as letting my father rule the kingdom!"

"Me? **The same as your father?!**"

Furnius lunged against Flame Princess, attempting to slap her face. He restrained himself though, stopping his palm before it could graze her cheek. A soft chuckle came afterwards, as Furnius lowered his arm.

"If you think that old good-for-nothing Flame King was a threat, you should wait and see what **I** can do! Your father was weak! If he had the guts to murder mine, he should have killed you at the moment you were born then! But he accepted you back and tossed you into the lantern instead…" the prince leaned over, grasping a figurine from his desk. "What is it of him now? Nothing but smoke and ashes within the prison where you should have perished as well!"

Furnius clenched his fist, melting the small figure back into a mass of clay. It called Flame Princess' attention to notice how her cousin rubbed the finger coated with her blood along the reddish mud. A grayish aura engulfed the soft mass as the prince easily gave the clay a new form. A gasp was ripped out of her lips: the figurine was turned into an identical miniature of herself.

"And you are just as weak, if not more!" Furnius continued with a smirk, "You freed us from the punishment room and banished us into a life of senseless wandering throughout the cold west plains! How compassionate of you, cousin! Were you expecting me and my brother to take that as a second chance, and start our lives over?"

It hurt to admit it, Furnius was right. Flame Princess, ashamed of her ingenuous hopes, turned her head down with a nod. "Blood is thicker than water, some people say, and I can't stop thinking of Torcho and you as family. Isn't there a way we could end this conflict peacefully?"

"Your concept of family was clearly swayed by all those months you spent outside of the Fire Kingdom." Furnius shook his head in disapproval, "We are fire elementals. We are evil, and we don't create strong emotional bonds with others! Family or not, we are all waiting for the right moment to stab each other in the back. That's the way of the fire elementals! And you hold no pride whatsoever for the glory of your own race! How can someone like you be allowed to be king of the Fire Kingdom?! You want to end this as peacefully as possible? Relinquish the crown to its true king, then!"

As Furnius spoke those words, a long gone memory of Cinnamon Bun made itself present in her mind. Eight years ago, when thanks to him, the people of the Fire Kingdom chose and allowed her to remain as their king, no matter how weak —physically or emotionally— she could be. Such event was carved deeply in her heart. It proved that the fire citizens had accepted her and her new philosophy. It proved that there was good in them and that they had the will to change, that there was hope for their race to achieve harmony with the rest of the land.

Flame Princess felt an anxious tickling sensation in her chest. That was also the day in which she pushed Finn out of her life and let Cinnamon Bun assume the title of knight. Separated from him for eight years, that seemed eight centuries to her, she could only wonder if Finn had truly changed. Had it been the right decision to leave Flanella at his care? Had it been right to leave her daughter behind at all?

"Hey, I'm over here!" Furnius called, snapping his fingers to pull Flame Princess out of her train of thought. "Glob, you certainly look nervous, your Majesty!"

Replying to the sarcasm in his voice, Flame Princess glared at him. A small flare left her mouth, accompanying her angered growl. "What could you know about our people and the kind of king that they deserve?! What could you know about their needs, when all you ever think of is yourself?! There's no way I could possibly make you king!"

"Really? Because I believe there is a way!"

Once he had claimed that, Furnius raised the small Flame Princess clay doll, squeezing her tightly in his hand. Her body was quickly overwhelmed by pressure, leading to a painful sensation of stiffness in each vein, muscle and bone. Flame Princess swore she could feel the tight grip that Furnius was exerting over the doll on her own skin. Despite how much she struggled to move her arms or just any limb, it was simply impossible for her to escape from whatever spell cast upon her.

"What? What's happening to me?!" she barely managed to shout.

"I told you I had gotten myself an interesting game set!" Furnius chuckled, "Remember the 'toy soldiers'? What would you do if I told you they are now wiping out your puny armed forces on their way to the palace?"

Flame Princess' eyes grew wide in shock.

"Yeah, thanks to your compassionate punishment I was able to meet a merchant, who made me an offer that I couldn't resist. A witch read the palm of my hand for free and saw greatness in my future. Since I care so much about my fate, I paid for a deeper reading. It appears that the Tarot cards do know who deserves to sport a crown after all!" Furnius gave off a bright glow, his flames growing with pride. "And to make things better yet, in exchange of a cheap payment, that ugly hag granted me the power to fulfill my destiny!"

"P-power?" she muttered with difficulty.

Furnius smirked, giving the doll a light pinch. Flame Princess flinched, feeling the sting in her arm.

"Are you familiar with voodoo magic? It's simple. It obeys two principles, Similarity and Contagion. The first one allows me to use a scale army on a game board here —or little toy soldiers as you said—, while a real sized battalion crushes your forces on the eastern lands! It's the same thing that allows me to control you right now. If I raise this doll's arm, you'll raise yours. Isn't that cool or what?"

A smug grin was drawn across his features, sensing the increasing despair on the helpless victim before him. Flame Princess' body shuddered in fear and desperation, unable to control her own muscles at will.

"The second one, thanks to the tiny drop of blood that I mixed with the clay in this doll, lets me inflict pain, pleasure, or fear. Whatever I want on anything in possession of your blood. No matter the distance between us, your will is mine! Your powers are mine! _You_ are mine!" he then rubbed his chin, pondering. "Now that I think about it, that daughter of yours must be linked to the second principle as well… Isn't that convenient?"

"F-Flanella…!" Flame Princess gasped in horror. "D-don't hurt her! Please, I beg you!"

Furnius couldn't help to laugh in amusement. "See? I haven't done anything yet, and now you are begging for clemency! Even I am amazed by how fast this voodoo magic works!"

He eyed the helpless woman as she lowered her head, shedding tears of frustration. Flame Princess was ready to overcome all the pain that Furnius had in store for her but Flanella, her baby, how could such a fragile creature endure it? What use did keeping her strength and might have if she couldn't defend the innocent life of her child with them? No one could… Surrendering seemed to be her only chance of sparing Flanella from an imminent suffering.

"This is exactly why fire elementals don't form strong bonds with others, for personal safety! Do you think your father felt any remorse when he killed his own brother or kicked you out to perish in the wilderness as a baby? No! You wouldn't be tormenting yourself for that child now! Why do you care about her anyway? You only conceived her to use the royal law against me, and as you see, she didn't serve her purpose. In your position, disposing of that child would be a wise decision." Furnius eagerly stated. "At least you'd free our family's bloodline from a mongrel!"

"Why do I care about Flanella? Someone so consumed by evil would never understand it…" she breathed, "How would you ever do it… when you've never been loved?"

Slowly, either proud of being in control or disappointed by the existence of such a weak fire elemental as Flame Princess —Furnius shook his head.

"Love, really? Are you going to give me a lecture about love? Wasn't love what got you into this mess? It made you feel compassion towards Torcho, didn't it? Wasn't because of love that your precious cinnamon knight died? Isn't love what's forcing you to surrender to me now?" he scoffed skeptically, "Love won't save you from this one, Flame Princess."

She hopelessly thought of her loyal knight, Cinnamon Bun who was dead and gone. Her brother was probably fighting for his life somewhere near the military settlement with little to no chances of winning this time. That is, if he hadn't been defeated already. The rest of her subjects were virtually unaware of the catastrophe that was looming upon them. And Finn —he probably was sitting in his living room, caring for Flanella. The hero of Ooo would never come to her aid, for she had requested him to do so. If he did respect her, as she believed, Finn would obey her command and stay away from the Fire Kingdom.

With a sigh Flame Princess gave up to Furnius' words. Suddenly it bothered her to have so few friends to rely on. She remembered that, whenever Finn found himself in a perilous situation, he could always count with Jake, Beemo, Princess Bubblegum, the Vampire Queen —and even the annoying Ice King, among countless others, who were ready to lend him a helping hand. But she, she was alone.

Used to that immense feeling of loneliness, Flame Princess gave a weak nod. "I know love won't save me… but it's the only joy I've ever had. Whatever you do, Furnius, please… just keep Flanella out of this…"

"That doesn't depend on me, it depends on you and your disposition to cooperate. Now, you will take off that crown on your head and you'll declare me as the new and only king of the Fire Kingdom, is that clear?"

Flame Princess was about to reply when the sound of approaching footsteps filled the room. She turned her head to find Torcho, leaning on the entrance with an anxious look on his face. The young prince eyed her briefly, quickly averting his gaze from hers, ashamed. Avoiding Flame Princess' stare, feeling the weight of guilt crush his back, he advanced to his brother's side.

"C'mon, Furnius!" Torcho pleaded, laying his hands on Furnius' shoulders. "Don't you think this is going a bit too far? Flame Princess hasn't done anything to us, much less her child."

His brother wacked him off of his armor, impatiently pushing the young prince back. "Torcho, you agreed to do this with me, have you forgotten? It's too late for regret! How dare you intercede in Flame Princess' favor when you can't even look at her in the eye? You were the one who brought her here, to the clutches of revenge! And since the old Flame King is already dead, his descendants are bound to pay for his sins!"

"Torcho…"

The weak voice of Flame Princess called him. With great difficulty, Torcho tried not to give his back to her, whilst avoiding her eyes. It didn't feel right to stare directly at her. At least he knew he didn't have the guts to do it. He was responsible for her pitiful condition. When she acted in his favor to keep him safe from falling, he went behind her back and pushed her down. No, he couldn't face her.

"Torcho, look at me!" Flame Princess commanded, the anger in her tone rising.

Paralyzed as she was, her facial muscles were making a great effort to exteriorize her resentful emotions. The fury in her brow, the sadness swelling in her eyes, the despair in her voice… Furnius crossed his arms with a smirk, noticing how little by little Torcho's stoic cover began to fall apart. It was an enjoyable show indeed.

"Torcho!" Flame Princess' cried once more, frustrated. "Why are you doing this to me? I had faith in you, Torcho! I gave you the chance to prove yourself worthy of my trust! We both know who deserves to be the true king, don't we?" her voice broke, "Torcho… please…"

"Enough!" Furnius slammed his conflicted brother out of his way, approaching Flame Princess steadily. "I am the true king here! Now, Flame Princess, either if you want to or not, you'll make it official! And Torcho, my brother, you'll be the witness!"

He threw his arms open in excitement, "Let the crowning ceremony begin!"

Enthusiastically, Furnius knelt before Flame Princess, waiting for her to proceed. She refused to move. With indignation, Furnius pulled the voodoo doll and manipulated her arms. Flame Princess' hands rose to the level of her head, trembling as a consequence of her futile restraint. Her fingers seized the golden crown, forcefully striping it off of herself. Soon her legs buckled forward, compelling Flame Princess to stumble near her evil cousin.

"Now repeat after me," Furnius said, whispering at the doll's ear, "I, Flame Princess, unworthy of the title of king of the Fire Kingdom…"

"I…" his living puppet repeated, her voice quivering with woe. "F-Flame Princess… unworthy of… the title of king …of the Fire Kingdom…"

"Hereby declare, Furnius as rightful heir of the throne, True King of the Fire Kingdom!" as he said this, he forced the doll to lean over and place the crown on his head.

Flame Princess, unable to fight against his wishes, repeated each word between her clenched teeth. She bent over, her hands trembling as they held the crown, and deposited it on Furnius' head. She could barely keep her tears from falling. She had just surrendered the fate of her people to an ominous king. Her own body had betrayed her.

Furnius rose and stood victorious before her, a pleased smirk enlightening his sinister features. Torcho covered his eyes, yearning to stop watching such a disheartening scene. Nonetheless, the young prince was driven to unveil his gaze when he heard Furnius giving a new order to Flame Princess.

"Now, bow before your king and accept your failure!"

"W-wait, Furnius! Haven't you humiliated her enough already?" Torcho instinctively snapped.

"Stay out of this, Torcho!" he roared, "She's mine now! I am the king and I will do whatever I want of her!"

The young prince eyed Flame Princess for the first time, concerned. Her eyes no longer depicted any signs of emotion. Nothing but a remorseful reproach, an "It's too late for that now…" remained in her clouded stare. He cringed back in astonishment then, watching how Flame Princess —by her own will—, laid her knees on the ground and let her head hang down in submission. A few lava tears hit the earth, abandoning the wet trails on her cheeks.

"Long live the king…" she wearily whispered and then collapsed.

Torcho let out a terrified gasp, running to her side. He cradled her in his arms, helping her up. It was no use. Flame Princess had fainted. Furnius approached him and placed a hand upon his shoulder.

"Torcho, we no longer need of her." he chuckled, "Though, if you want to keep her, I suggest you give her a place among your other trophies."

Grasping Torcho's hand, Furnius set the clay figurine of Flame Princess in his palm along with a few butterfly pins. Torcho gulped, unsure of what to do next. He gripped the figure and stood back on his feet, leaving Flame Princess behind. It would be better to do it now that she was unconscious, she would feel no pain. No matter how wrong it seemed, it was better to take care of Flame Princess' fate himself than letting Furnius toy with her any further.

Inhaling a deep breath, Torcho placed the soft clay doll against the wall and gently, with the same care that he used whenever he worked with his butterflies, inserted the pins into her. Two in her tiny hands, delicately as to not rip her wings off, and one on her chest to support her light weight. Furnius patted his back once the job was done.

"I'll go pay a visit to that witch before my ascension to the throne. Meanwhile, I want you to leave to the battlefield and make sure my soldiers have exterminated each royal flame warrior that might oppose me. Guide our troops to the palace and wait for me there." he turned to Torcho and grinned, "We'll assume our true place in the throne soon enough. Our time in this dark pit has finally come to an end!"

Torcho faced the opposite wall in concern, "What about her?"

"There's nothing she can do as long as she lays up there. Does it seem cruel to you, feeble brother?"

Torcho raised his head and stared at Flame Princess in silence. "As you said, Furnius, sometimes preserving beauty requires cruelness."

Satisfied with that answer, the evil king marched out of the chamber and vanished within a tunnel. Left alone with Flame Princess, Torcho moved closer to her body, as it lay attached to the wall. He acknowledged his mistakes, his sins. Flame Princess did not deserve to end up like that, trapped in a new prison. There had to be a way to set her free. It was always more delightful to watch the butterflies, flapping their colorful wings on the wind than to have them dead on display.

Freeing her in Furnius' absence would have no use. Flame Princess was bound to a curse now, and only his brother could remove it from her.

"I promise I'll make it up to you somehow," he whispered, looking down at his untied shoelaces. "You saw good in me when no one else did, just like with the rest of the Fire Kingdom. No one but you should carry the weight of the crown."

"I can't stand to watch you like this, Flame Princess. I swear I'll make things right this time."

He waited in silence for an answer however, trapped in her unconscious self; the only words that she could utter were weakly pronounced names. Names that he had heard before.

"Flanella… F…inn…"

* * *

_**Author's Notes:**_

I apologize for the delay, hopefully I'll have more time to work on this fic next week.

I chose not to make Furnius' hiss an explicit thing in the dialogue, because he is going to speak a lot and it just makes the paragraphs look awful. Anyway, thank you guys for waiting and see you soon!


	12. Act XII: The Hanged Man Part I

_**Flanella**_

* * *

_**Act XII: The Hanged Man Part I**_

* * *

"_The Hanged Man represents self-sacrifice and dedication to a cause. It is the most mysterious and unsettling card in the Tarot deck. It symbolizes the action of paradox in our lives, something that appears contradictory, and yet is true." _

–**Tarot, Major Arcana**

And when she let her eyes slid open, she found herself surrounded by softness and warmth. Flame Princess couldn't figure why all of a sudden she felt so comfortable, wherever she was. Moving her fingers, she recognized the mellowness of her bed and blankets. Was she back at home? Flame Princess sat up, scanning her surroundings attentively. Thick rock walls from the depths of the volcano that was the Fire Palace formed the familiar chamber. The air was fresh and the environment felt light and easy to breathe. In fact, it was rather colder than in the other rooms and hallways of the castle.

"This room…" Flame Princess quietly whispered, "Is this_ that_ special room? Why am I here?"

Her eyes freely explored the area, noticing a wide wardrobe, a fancy bureau and a tall mirror. The room that once was empty and poorly decorated was now fully equipped with elegant sets of furniture, carpets and cushions, among many other items that could offer more commodities to its occupants. Flame Princess was utterly confused, when exactly had she moved her bedroom to this chamber? She couldn't put a finger to it or on why she felt as if waking up with a bit of amnesia. Resting her throbbing forehead on a hand, the young woman turned her gaze to the other side of her bed.

She nearly fell out of it, gasping in astonishment.

There was a man sleeping deeply next to her. She slowly pulled her body back to its later position, examining the intruder. Hardened facial features, lost in peaceful rest denoted the roughness of the rest of his complexion, concealed beneath the crimson sheets. His solemn brow was covered by messy bangs of golden hair, offsetting the seriousness of his look. His broad shoulders, which followed the tranquil motion of his peach-colored chest, brought a blush upon her cheeks. She knew who that was, and he, responding to her startled awakening, opened his sea blue eyes with a lazy motion.

"Are you alright, FP?" he asked, rubbing a fist along his left eye.

For a moment Flame Princess felt that every word of her vocabulary had vanished. Her world had changed dramatically, or was it that she had gone insane? Then she remembered that she had just woken up, from a nightmare perhaps, she considered. This could possibly be one of those mornings when she woke up with no idea of what her life was supposed to be. Did that sound reasonable? Not at all, but she couldn't find any other explanation.

Nervous because of her growing silence, the man dared to speak once again. "FP, what's wrong?" The concern in his voice unsettled her thoughts.

Flame Princess faced him, trying to disguise her fear with a smile. "I-it's nothing, Finn. Nothing to worry about."

Her excuse wouldn't suffice him, of that she was sure. Escape. There was no other way. She had to escape from Finn and his comforting stare. Escape from the scent that enveloped his body and was still so vivid in her memories. That woody, mossy yet sensual aroma, which was a possible remain of his life within the antique grassland willow, was now pervading her bed and forcing her senses against her. It couldn't be real. With a quick stroke of her arm, Flame Princess removed the blankets that covered her legs and slipping on a night robe, she dashed to the first exit on sight.

_Darn it, wrong door! _She cursed, finding herself on a balcony. Her brain wasn't working properly and failed in driving her to the hallway. Frustrated, Flame Princess leaned on the balustrade, pinching the bridge of her nose. The idea of jumping and flying away was a tempting one until a pair of strong arms surrounded her waist.

_Why is he here, why am I with him? What is this madness? _Although attacking her weary mind with questions wasn't going to save her from succumbing to the tenderness of his embrace, Flame Princess couldn't stop struggling to free herself from the reality that she had so hastily addressed as an illusion. _How can this be true? None of this is right. Finn and I can't be together like this! How could we ever…?_

"Another nightmare?" Finn softly whispered in her ear.

She almost lost the support of her legs as her knees buckled at the touch of his lips, so dangerously close to her skin. If she weren't so confused she would have already slapped him for being this disrespectful. Though, the human didn't seem to be aware of her discomfort and mental struggle, leading him to behave intimately with the woman in his arms. She couldn't blame him for resting his chin on the crook of her neck, sending a jolt of electricity through her sensitive nerves, each time the raspy graze of a cheek in need of shaving groped her smooth skin. For glob's sake, she had no idea of in which terms their relationship was at the moment, however wonderful it felt to be his, she couldn't accept Finn's affection.

"I…" Flame Princess pushed an answer out, striving to remain stoic. "I'm not sure. The Fire Kingdom was being invaded, and I was trapped in Furnius' lair, unable to aid my people. And he had this weird black magic that he used to control my body and force me to crown him king and–!"

Suddenly, the memories of the horrible experiences Flame Princess thought she had lived only moments ago began to blur. Her explanation soon turned into misled words, and her words into unsure stutters.

"A-and you… you weren't there…" she uttered, "Why weren't you there, Finn? I-I can't…remember the reason. Was it because of… Flanella?"

"Flanella?" Finn wondered. His hands, which were now massaging her shoulders, descended slowly to her abdomen where his thumbs began to caress her bulky belly, up and down ever so sweetly. "Isn't that the name you are going to give to our child if it's born a girl?"

"If it's born?" Flame Princess gasped, falling in the realization that she was… pregnant. "We are going to have a child? You and me? B-but how? I thought, my elemental matrix it–! And you –you're human! Plus, we are not–we aren't supposed to be a couple! W-we broke up!"

Now it was Finn's turn to look confused, something that he promptly dismissed with a childish grin. "FP… that nightmare was worse than I thought. Maybe you are overdoing your job at ruling the kingdom; you worry too much about everything. I'm concerned about you, your health, and our baby…"

His embrace captivated her again, and she wasn't sure of what to believe anymore.

"You need to relax, FP, otherwise those nightmares won't stop coming." Finn placed his head on her shoulder, granting her a comforting smile. "Go back to sleep, it was just a nightmare you have to forget about. Now you need to rest."

"Was that a nightmare?" Flame Princess whispered, resting her hand on his cheek. "Or is _this_ a dream?" she gently pulled the man before her into a kiss. "'Cause I know that only in a dream, I would be able to be with you in this…way."

Their lips barely entered in contact. For she had only been kissed once in all of her life, and that was all she was allowed to feel before her matrix exploded several years ago. The rest of the action, no matter how passionate, felt empty. It was fake, unreal and something disheartening to be aware of. Flame Princess stepped away from the illusion her mind had created. This Finn, although identical to the real one, couldn't be him.

"I'm sorry, I…" she apologized.

"No." Finn rebuked, "I'm the one who's sorry. I forgot you don't want me by your side anymore… You don't need me… What could I offer to you that your knight, Cinnamon Bun, can't? Nothing! I bet the baby in your womb isn't even mine! It's his, right? Of course it's his!"

"Wait, Finn! That's not–!"

Flame Princess restrained herself from stopping Finn as he stormed out of the room. She was letting her mind wreck havoc again, inducing her to confront a rebound of the man she had rejected eight years ago. The man her body and mind were screaming for, in search of solace and the certainty that everything would be fine, in search of a hero that would save her from her fatal fate and heal her wounds with his love and compassion. Such was her desolation and still, she would continue to fight against her desire.

Right, she didn't need him. She didn't want him near her, not anymore.

"That's not true… Flanella is not… Not Cinnamon Bun's, not yours, not mine. What is she? I don't know."

The world around her was dissolved into darkness as she fell on her knees, while covering her eyes. The next thing she felt was a deep prick of pain in her hands and chest. Flame Princess awoke, pinned to the wall. It was the nightmare… her reality. Her head hung down, eyes frozen to the ground. The weight of the guilt crushing her heart gave sense to her twisted dream. She knew she was going to die there, without ever explaining Finn the truth, without watching her little Flanella grow, her kingdom ruled by a new powerful tyrant…

Would the world end for her here, trapped in a dark pit with solitude all around? Flame Princess gripped her fists, attempting to oppose the curse that held her onto the wall. Even if there were no real nails to keep her attached to the cold rock surface, her struggle only earned her more pain and caused new blood to drip out of her open wounds.

"I can't give up!" she repeated desperately, "Flanella needs me, my kingdom needs me!"

Her movements became aggressive, impulsive and irrational, all to no avail. Seeing that her energies were wasted in vain and that she had been suffering for nothing, an outburst of anger caused the blood in her veins to boil. Flame Princess manifested her contained emotions, setting them free in an enraged scream. An intense gush of fire accompanied the dire sound of her helpless roar as it hit the ceiling, bringing a rain of debris upon her.

Out of breath, Flame Princess' head fell back to its submissive position. A wheeze of smoke escaped from her mouth as she gasped for air, huffing and puffing abstractedly and out of herself. When she dared to peer into the darkness before her, she was surprised to find the image of Finn standing in front of her. The fiery woman blurted a chuckle as she sensed him approaching her.

"You aren't real… I'm hallucinating, I know I'm growing delirious…"

The young man nodded, his form blurring out as his image adopted the figure of a new character. The ample pastry complexion of Cinnamon Bun was now smiling softly at her.

"CB, why are you the last person to behold what's left of this uncrowned king?" she sighed, tears streaming down her face. "I have failed you, everything you sacrificed for me was worth nothing… I knew we would lose this fight since it began…"

Flame Princess glanced at the illusion once more, just to notice that it had faded. Reminiscing of Cinnamon Bun brought back unwanted memories, visions of the events that took place only months ago, of how it all began. She saw herself pacing back and forth in her private quarters, a frown upon her distressed brow. There was a knock on the door and after she granted him permission to enter, Cinnamon Bun stepped in. Flame Princess confronted him immediately.

"How could you do this to me?!" she yelled, "How could you tell Furnius that I would proceed in agreement with the requirements of the royal law?! I thought you knew how I felt about marriage! I thought you knew I'm not ready to carry out something like this! Don't you see that I'm still struggling with–!"

Cinnamon Bun captured her hands in his, forcing the young king to listen. "Of course I know you are against this! But you must understand, the other alternative to face this conflict is through war and you wouldn't drag your people into battle when there's still a way to avoid it, would you?"

Flame Princess freed herself with a harsh movement of her arms. "No. That would be selfish of me… It's just that I'm…" she averted her eyes from his, "I'm not ready yet… I was hoping _he_ would…"

The pastry's features softened in understanding. "I know, you still have hopes on him. And because I want your wishes to come true, I've been okay with giving him time to change and let experience prepare him for a responsibility of this magnitude…" he held her chin up gently, revealing the gathering tears in her golden eyes. "However, seven years have passed and from what I've observed, no matter how wise he's grown, Finn is not fitted to rule a kingdom by your side… and probably he'll never be. You see, Finn is an adventurer, a free spirit. He doesn't belong here."

Flame Princess collapsed in his arms, crying. "Are you telling me that we were never meant to be together, even after he dared to defy nature for me? That I will have to marry some jerk and have his children in the name of my kingdom? Is this how my life's gonna be?"

Cinnamon Bun hugged her, hoping to comfort her. "I'm sorry, your highness… I swear, if there was something I could do in your favor… anything… I would do it no matter the cost."

Days after that hurtful event, she and Cinnamon Bun had agreed to fake an engagement between them. For it would be better for Flame Princess to be espoused with her knight than with any other suitor that could harm her integrity. Lies they had to tell many, even going against her own law, Flame Princess was determined to sacrifice her ideals of truth for the sake of her people and the man she loved, hoping that she could still reserve herself for him. Every odd against her and the human meant nothing to her, she liked to believe that true love never died.

But the time came when the act of being married wasn't enough to keep the enemy away from her kingdom. What use did a marriage have if it wasn't fulfilled? Where was the proof of its consummation? That was when Flame Princess felt about to lose her mind. It was too much for her to bear, and knowing that she had placed herself between the sword and the wall, with no escape, made it all so much worse. Cinnamon Bun however, much to her intrigue, remained composed and confident before the situation. And she was bound to trust him, trust that he would find a way to make the consequences of her reckless choices more tolerable.

"No one will believe us if you don't go through all the stages of pregnancy and labor…" her knight stated on one of those anguishing nights. They were forced to share the intimacy of a bedroom now, though Cinnamon Bun was always respectful towards his king and her personal space.

"I know that." She firmly replied. The nervousness was visible in her expression and in her never-ending back and forth pacing across the room. It was as explicit as her discomfort and fear.

"There's no trick that we can pull to fake that! This is it! You'd have to…to do it." Flame Princess' voice quivered in the verge of tears, "It will be safe… I don't think my elemental matrix will react since I… I don't feel anything for you…"

"I won't." Cinnamon Bun declared, frowning as if he had been offended by her desperate words. "I swore I wouldn't lay a finger on you, I won't betray my knighthood vow. My love for you impedes me from doing so…"

"Then how are we going to–? What is there for us to carry out something like this without actually touching? Cinnamon Bun, please tell me! What are we going to do then?"

Her knight rested his hands on her shoulders, squeezing them tightly. His eyes locked on hers. "Just trust me. Trust that I'll make sure everything goes fine, there's nothing to fear… Now please, take some rest while I work on a solution."

Since then, Flame Princess spent many sleepless nights tormented by insomnia, while Cinnamon Bun went missing for countless hours. It was always the same, he would leave late after the fall of dusk, and he wouldn't return until the first rays of dawn lighted his side of the bed. Then, she would hear his footsteps entering the room, and she would tremble in anticipation —fearing he would have changed his mind— as she felt his weight lay down next to her. He kept his noble promise though, and never dared to disrespect her wish to remain pure.

_**x~x~x~x~x**_

The Flame General gave an unfriendly stare to the human as he helped him get on top of Jake 2's back. Having wrapped his injured arms with the few bandages that he had left in his bag, Finn prepared Flame Princess' brother to depart to safety. He trusted that Cinnamon Bun's hound would take him to a place where his wounds would be treated properly. The fire wolf could only stare at the human in worry while this one fashioned a sort of reins with a rope, something that would help the general secure himself during the ride.

Emitting a concerned groan, Jake 2 nuzzled Finn's stomach, eagerly pushing him back. The Flame General noticed this and as he was aware of the human's reckless plan to save his sister, he chose to ignore his pride and irritation to ask him about it.

"Why the sudden urge to run to her side? I thought you wouldn't care about my sister anymore, not after reading that letter at least. What changed?"

Finn ceased the work on his humble crafting and sighed, turning his glance away from the fire elemental. "It was more of a change of heart. With all respect, I realized that I do love Flame Princess more than I fear not being corresponded by her. I guess my faith in her weakened a bit back there, but I found the courage to confront her and Cinnamon Bun."

Finn tied a tight knot and placed the rein on the general's hand. "I read the letter, and I don't regret doing so." he calmly declared, "Now I know I've been wrong this whole time. I have to reach Flame Princess' side and mend the damage I've done to her. Besides, the king has to be rescued."

"What did that letter say exactly?"

Flame Princess' brother appeared more worried than curious about the subject, yet Finn chose to keep the contents of Cinnamon Bun's message to himself. "That's kinda personal, you know. Besides, there's no time for me to explain, we both need to leave now."

"You insolent brat, how come I'm letting you get away with this?" he snorted in indignation.

A smirk grew about Finn's face. "Maybe because I'm the only hope you have to get out of this one alive, don't you think so?"

With that he walked away from the fire wolf, ordering it with a potent command to take off immediately. Jake 2 obeyed, propelling its large body into the air along with the angry general.

"Forget about dating my sister ever again, you hear me?!" Finn heard him yell, to what he replied with a silent chuckle.

The hero's enthusiasm wasn't that exuberant in reality. He had to march towards his own doom, according to what he had planned. It didn't depend on him if he was allowed to live or not after falling into the stone warriors' grasp. In fact he had no idea if they were keeping war prisoners. Finn could only hope they did.

Gulping at this, the hero turned his marching into a sprint, his speed being affected by the graveness of his wounds. At least there was something else haunting the back of his mind, and it was helping him avoid dwelling too much in the physical pain he felt: Cinnamon Bun's letter. Everything about Flanella was explained in detail in that piece of paper; how she came to be, why, and the means he used to achieve it. Some of the things Cinnamon Bun mentioned there caused Finn to feel a bump in his throat out of anxiety, mostly Flame Princess' feelings throughout the process.

_Flame Princess, she was always so distraught about you. Remember when you asked me if she ever talked about you? The truth is, she did. And actually, sometimes it was pretty annoying, if you let me tell you so. There was this one time when she asked me if you liked jasmine tea or softer infusions like chamomile. How the Bjork did she expect me to know the answer to that is still beyond me. _

Finn laughed softly, thinking of that. It made him wonder what other things Flame Princess tended to ask or say whenever she talked about him. Why did she choose to avoid him if she still cared for him then? She said they could still be friends once, so what made her change her mind. The answer was right there, in Cinnamon Bun's writing.

_The things I had to do to help her face this whole conflict… Even in her adulthood Flame Princess was still severely infatuated with you. She didn't want another man in her life, if it wasn't you. And she didn't want you either. Confused? Yeah, me too. She constantly spoke about a childish dream of hers. Finn, is it true that you once promised her that you two would form your own family, just like Jake and Lady Rainicorn did?_

It had been nearly nine years ago, but Finn clearly remembered what in those days of youth wasn't more than a silly promise. Something he thought every couple eventually achieved, just like Jake once explained to him. He never really understood what that meant back then, not even when he spoke to his naïve girlfriend about those things, unconsciously filling her head with dreams. What could he know? He was just a boy. None of that seemed of importance to him, but perhaps, it might have been important to Flame Princess. Girls were so much different than guys…

Even now as grown man, the idea of becoming a parent was absolutely overwhelming. Finn knew he loved Flame Princess and Flanella with all of his heart, but was he suited to carry out such a task? The tension built up within him as he bit his lower lip, stressed. Doubting of his skills was easy when he took into consideration that his true father wasn't there for him as a child —a boom boomed baby boy, raised by dogs. Brave, honorable dogs just like his brother yes, but they died when he was still too young to learn anything about parenting. Marceline herself said he sucked at changing diapers. If he couldn't do that, how was he supposed to raise a little princess?

"Jeez, Finn! Dude, you gotta keep it together and focus on the mission ahead!" he shouted to himself, pulling the ears of his bear hat down. "No need to worry about daddy issues again! _Not yet at least…"_

_I'm sorry. It was me who got both of you into this. Even when I still consider that you are not qualified to be Flame Princess' mate, I had no choice but to involve your life in hers. Perhaps you two could learn together, figure this new experience out by yourselves, helping each other. And who knows, maybe the spark in your hearts could blossom again, right? If that makes Flame Princess happy, it doesn't really matter if you're prepared for it or not. But you gotta work hard for it, Finn. _

_Yeah… With that hope within me I set out to find a way to grant her highness what she needed and wanted with all her heart: a child of yours. You won't believe everything I had to go through to bring Flanella into your lives, and Flame Princess herself doesn't know half of it. I can only hope it was all worth the struggle, because you on the other hand, will have to learn how it happened. It's your responsibility to let her know or not the whole truth._

_If you want to live this with her, then by all means you must tell her that Flanella is yours. _

_Please don't disappoint me, Finn. _

* * *

_**Stay tuned for Flanella's origin on the next part of this chapter. See you guys soon!**  
_


	13. Act XIII: The Hanged Man Part II

_**Flanella**_

* * *

_**Act XIII: The Hanged Man Part II**_

* * *

"_The Hanged Man presents certain truths, but they are hidden in their opposites. It is a card about suspension, rather than life or death. A belief or perspective, a wish, dream or hope must be sacrificed to bring change."_

–**Tarot, Major Arcana**

His vision faded, the light of day flickering as his opponent drew its fist back from his stomach. Would he open his eyes to greet life once more after collapsing unconscious? Finn ignored it. His body fell flat on the ground, defenseless, at the mercy of an unsparing stone warrior and its ice spear. More soldiers of the same nature arrived and surrounded the fallen human, dragging more knocked out victims with them. As if with a silent agreement, the foe that had beaten Finn down grasped his mechanical arm, hauling the seemingly dead body along the rugged earth, in the same way as its allies.

Giving himself up to the enemy, what a treacherous tactic. If Sir Rattleballs somehow found out about this, he would unleash a fury of spoiled eggs upon him. But desperate times called for desperate measures, if he remembered well. Cinnamon Bun said it; better beg for forgiveness than asking for permission.

_In a way I was forced to become the villain of the story, outlaw number one of the Candy Kingdom. The one who steals from its princess, betraying the trust she once deposited on him, and busts down the door of its greatest hero _—_only to punch his face. _

_For I couldn't just go back to Princess Bubblegum and ask her to lend me a hand with this, just in the same way I didn't wait for Flame Princess' consent to do what I was about carry out. It would have only delayed that which needed to be done with haste. Our time was growing short. _

_For once the legacy that Princess Bubblegum laid down on me when I was nothing but an assistant would come in handy. Though, it's still unknown to me why did she allow me to accompany her in her devious experiments. If I recall correctly, Princess Bubblegum had no hopes whatsoever on my brains and skills. Perhaps, the gold fish-like attention span that I possessed back then, guaranteed that I would not denounce the dark side of her experimentation. _

_Believe me when I tell you, Finn, what you've seen of Bubblegum's laboratory __—although twisted and demented— it's only the surface. She let you and the rest of the kingdom meet the Earl of Lemongrab, addressing him as the first of her experiments to go wrong; when behind him there were others. Failed attempts, disfigured beings that dwell within the depths of her underground Royal Dungeon. _

_She keeps many things hidden, even from her own subjects and friends. All that surrounds her are secrets. You've seen it before; she lied about her age, her parents… It's her way of protecting herself from others. No wonder every Grand Meeting of Ooo Royalty I've escorted Flame Princess to, ended up in disaster whenever she and Bubblegum engaged in an argument. The level of honesty in the Land of Ooo concerned my king gravely. Princess Bubblegum shared that same concern but in an opposite way. After all, Bubblegum (if she can't destroy them) keeps her mysteries, her failures and mistakes concealed under the veil of secrecy that has always coated the continent._

_And I must admit, she had a point in defending the right of privacy in Ooo. Flame Princess' policy of absolute truth, however good intentioned, was unsustainable. Convincing her of this cost me much, and eventually she learned to respect the right of privacy the hard way. Mainly through the civil war threat that continued to spread itself throughout the Fire Kingdom. _

_Flanella… I knew the answer to Flame Princess' struggle lied in Bubblegum's laboratory. I was there during the creation of Lemongrab, Goliad and others. I knew of her candy life recipe and of her other researches on the conception of life. Princess Bubblegum's obsession with eternal existence compelled her to study the very origins of life: mechanic animation, resurrection, and reproductive behaviors. _

_Of one thing I was sure, and it was that I couldn't bring the future heir of the Fire Kingdom to life in the same way Princess Bubblegum created the original inhabitants of the Candy Kingdom. The candy life recipe alone was useless. To make this sham believable, I needed to get Flame Princess to undergo the most normal process of gestation possible. Somehow I had to made her conceive a candy/fire elemental hybrid, for the child was supposed to be mine. Though, the very thought of it still bothers me greatly._

_I've always wanted to protect Flame Princess, not to possess her. This fallacy that we had chosen to build was wrong in many levels. What we were trying to fake verged on the immoral, the disrespect for life itself. Not that Princess Bubblegum cared about any of those things when she was in her mad scientist mode, but to me, it never felt right._

_This meant toying with Flame Princess' body, as if her organism wasn't already unstable enough. Whenever I sneaked into Bubblegum's lab to lose myself for hours, stealing information, diving in her stash of private tests and questions in the middle of being answered, I pondered on the consequences that might follow. What if this child ends up being an abomination like those Bubblegum kept imprisoned in her secret royal dungeon? What if I endangered Flame Princess' life by doing this?_

_Would it have been better to just push her into marrying any other suitor willing to court her? Let her lose her virginity at the hands of a vulture, waiting to seize the throne for himself. How much trouble would that had saved me? She would have lost her crown either way! But Flame Princess had showed me her care and compassion —the beautiful heart that beats within her. I couldn't just abandon her. I had to defend her happiness. It was my duty above all things. _

_Like a rat digging on garbage, that's how I often felt. And digging like a rat among piles of withered achieves was when I came across some documents about human biology. You see, I encountered many problems when I experimented on my own candy tissue and some of Flambo's elemental DNA. And as Princess Bubblegum had hypothesized, based on some of her antique research: candy people and fire elementals aren't compatible. _

_Hopefully no one in the Fire Kingdom knew about this, and hopefully no one in all of Ooo except for Bubblegum and me. It was upon this discovery that I thought of my king's star-crossed romance with you, Finn, and how it could turn out to be a possible solution. Human biology became an interesting subject of study then. If I could disguise human cells with my DNA to pass Flanella as my daughter, then I would still have a chance to succeed. _

_Though, with her fire elemental nature rejecting the candy genes in her DNA, I had to search for a way to keep the disguise active on her, even if it were just temporal. My attention was then drawn towards Bubblegum's Spoon of Prosperity…_

_**x~x~x~x~x**_

She decided to focus on her breathing. It would keep her alive in the same way it would keep her flames burning. Flame Princess had, not long ago, noticed a change in temperature. The place was getting cold. Perhaps that meant the sun in the surface had begun its journey to the other side of the world. If that were the case, with the night looming upon her, soon the environment would grow even colder. She supposed that underground, thanks to the streams of cold water that ran through the veins of the earth, the temperature would be even lower.

If Furnius had planned out this new form of torture or not, when he stabbed her onto the wall, it was unknown to her. What mattered now was to conserve her internal heat, for the cold temperatures would soon weaken her body and possibly kill her if she fell asleep, letting her flames die out.

_Breathe. _Flame Princess repeated to herself. She may not be able to escape, but she had to focus on surviving through the freezing night ahead and hope for the best. She couldn't let her own exhaustion consume her. Entering in a meditative trance, Flame Princess' long deep breaths, increased their speed and intensity. The Breath of Fire would maintain her alive. She soon closed her mouth, breathing only through the nose as she continuously pumped her abdomen in and out.

Her blood was quickly oxygenated, generating heat and increasing her natural energy flows. Her flames grew in size and glow as she raised the voltage of her nervous system, charging her aura. She felt her muscles strengthening throughout her body, a sign that her physical endurance was being successfully enhanced by her intense breathing technique.

As her system synchronized in one rhythm, inhalation and exhalation in equal duration, Flame Princess' fear and despair were slowly put under her conscious control. A state of internal harmony took over her. She went back to long deep breathing some minutes afterwards, losing herself in meditation.

The thought of Flanella wouldn't abandon her mind. At times it was as if she could hear her crying, and she wasn't there to comfort her. Why did it feel as if her daughter needed her? Was her stressed mind still playing dirty tricks on her? Flanella was with Finn, therefore, she must be safe. She wanted to believe her baby was safe, away from danger, in the arms of Ooo's greatest hero —a place where she couldn't go back.

It had been hard, but she had grown to love that child as a real mother would. In the beginning though, it had been a different story. Remembering the repudiating attitude that she had once held towards Flanella still ashamed her greatly.

The chain of lies that had prompted her and Cinnamon Bun to fake their romantic relationship had to reach its breaking point one day. And when it did, even the servants of the palace, gossiped between each other, spreading the rumors of the still unachieved consummation.

It was a scandal and she cursed her own laws after it all was inevitably revealed. Something that only Furnius, Torcho, and other members of the royal family were supposed to know couldn't be kept as a secret for long. When the entire Fire Kingdom heard about the king's engagement with her champion, a sort of a wedding night ceremony was to be expected. Nothing too fancy, a party was thrown to homage the sneaky newlyweds and then of course, they were supposed to finally "make things official" by the end of the night.

Why was it such a big deal? Well, because any marriage, more specifically a royal marriage, could be easily nullified if it wasn't fulfilled —which put Flame Princess' reign in grave danger and was the main reason she had embroiled herself in that embarrassing predicament.

She remembered herself, nibbling her nails as she sat on her bed; right after the most awkward soiree of her life had ended. Cinnamon Bun was peeking through their door's keyhole, to make sure no one was around to listen to their conversation. Sadly for them, and both the king and her champion were well aware of it, the walls had ears _—_and they were expecting to hear _more _than just a conversation.

"It's no use, the royal guards are on duty! They'll keep wandering about the halls the whole night!" Cinnamon Bun warned.

That confusticating right of privacy, how much she wanted it to be an established policy in her kingdom once more.

Flame Princess stood up, angered. "This is exactly why I'm against lying! Lies just keep getting bigger and bigger until you lose control of the situation!" she approached the conflicted pastry, grasping the strap hung across his chest in a rude manner. "How are we gonna get out of this one now?"

"Calm down, please." He whispered, pointing at the door behind him. "The whole castle will hear you…"

"And that's exactly why I can't calm myself down!" she rebuked. "What are we gonna do, fake it? Do you even know how to fake sex? Because I don't have the slightest idea of how that's supposed to sound!"

She was quite altered. Her stress and agitation were showing through her flames, which burst wildly every now and then, like those of a young fire wolf pulp. If she wasn't careful, she'd blow the room in pieces, any second now.

"Flame Princess, please!" Cinnamon Bun begged, whispering in a more gentle tone. "I need you to get a hold of yourself. I'm here with you, and I'm not going to leave you or fail you, understood?"

She backed away, releasing him. Her face lost some of its natural glow as her features grew disheartened. "I'm sorry." She breathed, sitting back on the bed.

Cinnamon Bun noticed the sudden change she had suffered. He took a seat next to her, sighing. "How sad…"

"What's sad?" she turned to stare at him, a stealthy tear being wiped out of her eye.

"To see your pretty face being tarnished by the hardships of life like this. That's sad. I mean, look at me! I'm an old piece of pastry, probably the ugliest face in all of Ooo. It doesn't matter whether I'm sad or angry, my face can't grow any uglier. But you…" he put his hand beneath her chin and brought it up, "You are still so young. It's not fair. They took away your childhood and now your youth. You were forced to grow up way too fast."

"I had to mature for my people." She replied dryly, "You can't be a little kid forever."

"Yeah, I know. But were you ever free to be a kid to begin with?"

"Hardly…" Flame Princess admitted weakly, understanding his point.

Cinnamon Bun patted his kneecaps then, reminiscing in silence. A smile brightened his baked features as he turned to look at his king one more time.

"Have I ever told you about the day I set the Candy Kingdom on fire?"

There it was, that spark of child-like curiosity that bestowed a sense of innocence upon Flame Princess' eyes. It was like staring back at the cheerful fifteen-year-old girl that he first met, long ago. It inspired the old knight to begin his tale of how the bossy Princess Bubblegum forced him to sleep in the dark. Back then, even if he was in his thirties, Bubblegum insisted on repressing his childish attitude, as if that were her problem. Why did it bother her so much, he was sleeping in his house, using only a small night-light, how could that bum everyone out?

Then, a giggle that escaped swiftly from Flame Princess' curved lips gave way to a more enthusiastic narration of how Cinnamon Bun broke his lamp and started a small fire, which quickly spread itself all over the sugary city. A snort of laughter denounced Flame Princess' amused reaction at how Princess Bubblegum herself (still on her pajamas) had to snatch her firemen's hose in order to put an end to the chaos that her stubbornness had provoked.

"And she never ever took my night-light away again!" Cinnamon Bun finished. "See? It's good to act maturely when it's necessary, but if you don't have a little fun from time to time, you might grow as old and sour as Princess Bubblegum!"

"How old is she?" Flame Princess asked in bewilderment.

"Eight hundred something, but she covers it up using new biomass to look as young as if she were in her twenties!" he was amused by his king's surprised gasp, and taking her hands on his, Cinnamon Bun shared a gentle glance with her. "But you can't restore your beauty like she does, that's why I don't want to see you so sad. I want to enjoy that pretty smile of yours for as long as I live."

"It's just that… I find it hard to smile at a time like this…"

"C'mon, then!" CB said, lifting his feet over the bed. He stood up and pulled Flame Princess' arms, urging her to do the same. "Let's forget about this jam! Let's be kids again, I bet your father never let you jump on the bed!"

"N-no, he didn't. But I don't think this is the right moment to –…"

"Nah! I don't understand adult gibberish anymore!" Cinnamon Bun claimed as he leapt up. "I bet I can jump higher than you! C'mon, try it and I'll teach you a funny song!"

He didn't give Flame Princess the chance to reply. He grabbed her hands once again and towed her into the air with him. At first she felt ridiculous, but as the mattress launched them upwards faster, and the pillows began to fly out of their place with them, her concerned stutters were replaced with excited chuckles and laughter. With the king getting in the hang of things, Cinnamon Bun invited her to dance in circles with him, their feet bouncing joyfully on the squeaky bed as they both began to sing.

_Bubblegum thinks she's truly rad,_

_But she's really a bitter wad._

_Bossy bean, drama queen,_

_Everyone's mom, old and mean._

_Not, I've been  
_

_In her lab_

_I'm better off with her science_

_Rat!_

That silly song unleashed Flame Princess' laughter and playful nature. Using a pillow as a club, she attacked her knight. He didn't see the hit coming and fell on his back. Flame Princess laughed even more, to the point of losing her breath. It would be war then. Cinnamon Bun reached a pillow of his own and pushed himself back on his feet, ready to exchange more blows with her. Feathers began to rain upon them. The pillow fight was on.

Outside of their bedroom, the muffled sounds of frantic laughter, agitated grunts and the wild creaking of the bed, leaked into the lonely hallway. The two flame guards following their patrol routes, met in front of the door. Inside, Flame Princess had just received a pillow slap on the face, which caused her to exclaim a loud squeal, as she lost her balance and fell onto the floor. Back in the hall, the two patrols flinched, swapping embarrassed glances.

One of them, in the hopes of breaking the tension, coughed to clear his throat. "S-seems like they finally are at it, huh?"

"Y-yeah, and it seems they are enjoying it."

They stood in vigilant silence for a few more seconds, the awkwardness of the sounds coming from behind the door growing louder and louder.

"Say, do you wanna go check the royal courtyard?"

"Why didn't you say so earlier, man? Let's get outta here before –!"

"_Dang it, CB! You can do better than that!" _

"Let's just go, dude."

In the bedroom, Flame Princess had recovered from her previous defeat. She dragged her pillow-weapon and aimed her calculating gaze at the triumphant knight that celebrated his premature victory on top of the now unsteady bed. She launched her body up, slamming the over-sized bun down with a powerful swing of her cushion. Both Flame Princess' violent landing in combination with Cinnamon Bun's fall caused the bed to suddenly break in half, the mattress sinking down with them onto the ground.

Flame Princess' dragged her body out of the remains of the bed, meeting the startled eyes of her knight in the process. They stared at the broken bed in silence. Cinnamon Bun analyzed the mess that their bedroom was, eying his king gravely some moments later.

"Looks like we're sleeping on the floor today." she pointed out in return.

"It seems so. Do you think this will be enough to convince them?"

Cinnamon Bun gestured at the destroyed bed, earning a chuckle from the young woman before him. She connected the dots and realized what her knight meant. She blurted out in laughter.

"If that doesn't, I don't know what will!" her voice faded into a sigh as she lay down on the scattered sheets that covered the floor. "That was the most stupid thing I've done since…forever. Thank you, Finn…"

It was then that Flame Princess became aware of what she had just said, sitting up to apologize immediately. "I-I'm sorry! W-what I meant was–!"

"It's alright, milady. I guess the few times you were allowed to act as a child of your age, were those you shared with Finn." Cinnamon Bun began to play with his fingers, lost in thought. "You must be missing him, along with that part of yourself that went away with him…"

She remained silent as she brought her knees against her chest.

"We now have a deadline, you know?" she uttered.

The old knight frowned, placing his eyes on hers to notice that the childish spark within them had vanished.

"I do." he declared. "I found a possible alternative, though." Flame Princess shifted softly, paying close attention. "But before we proceed, I would like to know how far are you willing to go with this. I'm afraid what I've come up with might make you rather uncomfortable. Your body will be on the line."

More silence came.

"CB?"

"Yes, my king?"

Flame Princess displayed an expression of incertitude. The look of innocence returned to her features, this time conveying the worry of a doubtful girl.

"You will… always stay by my side, right? And you'll make sure I'm okay, won't you? If something goes wrong, you wouldn't abandon me… You will take care of me, won't you?" she rubbed her hands along her forearms, nervously. "It's not that I don't know how to take care of myself. It's just that… No one has ever watched over me before, I had no mom, no real dad. I could relay on my strength, though. But I don't think my powers can help me now… I'm scared, CB."

Her champion smiled, giving her one simple reply.

"I'm here for you, Flame Princess. Always."

And he never failed to accomplish his promise. Cinnamon Bun was there when they finally carried out the clandestine procedure that would let her conceive a child. He was gentle and courteous when he advised her to lie still while he inserted something into her body. He did his best to keep her comfortable at all times, although she never showed signs of being bothered or ashamed as she rested vulnerably, a fraction of herself unclad, before him.

"It'll hurt just a little." she remembered him whisper, as he introduced whatever magic he had developed during his nights of absence. She never showed resistance nor did she wince because of the minimal pain she felt. Cinnamon Bun stayed by her side after that, procuring her system would get along with the new cells entering it.

Time passed and she seemed normal, no counter reactions or signs of her elemental matrix causing trouble. The faces of the fire citizens however, did experiment a certain change. A grin would be drawn on their lips every time they met with their ruler, and as the months went away, those grins would grow into wide smiles. Flame Princess' pregnancy was starting to show.

Who would've thought something like that would work? Cinnamon Bun was proud of his job. He had done what, at the beginning, he had believed impossible. However, as the date of the widely expected delivery approached, something in his king changed. Flame Princess found herself feeling depressed, if not miserable for her acts of dishonesty against her own people. Sometimes she would even scare her subjects away with her displays of senseless anger. But not Cinnamon Bun. He had promised that he would be there for her, no matter what could happen.

He stood by her side, coping with her emotional breakdowns for all the months to come. He was of course, present when the little princess was born —a normal baby girl, healthy and tender, a miracle come true. Although in her mother's eyes, she was nothing but a lie, the greatest lie she had ever told to herself. And even when Flame Princess dared to reject her own daughter, Cinnamon Bun stood there firmly, ready to aid her and support her.

He faced Flame Princess' weary state of mind through many heated arguments, trying his best to make the young woman respond to reason. Newborn Flanella, as he had named her, was growing weak and sick. If her mother continued to refuse to feed her, she would have eventually died. Thus, what use would all of their struggle have in the end? None.

"What do you mean she's not your daughter?" the knight cried, "Look at her! You carried her within you for nine months, she's got your blood running through her veins, and she depends on you to survive! How can she not be your daughter?"

"I don't know what could you have possibly done to me, but I know everything was meant to be fake… I don't feel this is the right thing to do anymore, CB… I don't feel right… I don't want her… Please, take her away!"

Flame Princess remained bedridden since the day she gave birth to Flanella. Her flames had dimmed to a concerning brownish hue, her features exhausted and filled with gloom. Cinnamon Bun couldn't stand to see her like that, feeling entirely responsible for her condition. Nevertheless, there was no turning back now. He gave a glance to the fragile and tiny girl in his arms and then gazed at her mother with determination.

"I can't let you do this! C'mon! You have to snap out of it, Flame Princess!" he begged, "This child needs you. She doesn't have anyone else in the world to care for her, pretty much like someone I know. Someone who was abandoned and rejected by her own father, someone who wouldn't let the same injustice be repeated!"

Cinnamon Bun laid the baby next to her mother with great care.

"I know things didn't happen the way you dreamed of, and I understand you are feeling overwhelmed by all of this. It was so sudden, especially for you, who were forced to mature in a rush. The weight of an entire kingdom is already a heavy burden for you to bear with, and this child might double that weight. But I'm still here, Flame Princess. I will help you carry that weight."

Flame Princess was left alone with her baby shortly afterwards. Cinnamon Bun could only hope some private time with her child might help his king reconsider her faulty thinking. Suddenly Flanella squirmed weakly, attracting her mother's attention. That was the first time Flame Princess actually saw her daughter. She felt an immediate concern for the child's debilitated condition, her motherly instincts awakening. Soon Flanella began to cry, hunger being her greatest discomfort.

Flame Princess' picked her up gently and cradled her in her arms. Tears streamed down her face. "How could I have done this to you?" She never wanted her to suffer the way she did as an infant. At least she had been gifted with extraordinary powers and strength. Flanella, on the other side, was fragile and helpless as a human cub —because of her candy heritage— she supposed.

She stared at her baby, enveloping her in tenderness. There was so much of her past that she wanted to correct in her child's life. "She is my daughter", she quietly repeated to herself as she brought the tiny girl up to her breast and began to feed her.

"My Flanella, my Flanella… I'm so sorry, my little Flanella…"

_**x~x~x~x~x**_

A strong sensation of cold drew her out of her meditative trance. Flame Princess left her memories behind and woke up to reality, alone. Flanella, Cinnamon Bun, they were both gone. Her flames had lost some of their intensity; prompting her to push aside the resentment brought back by her memories, and return her focus to the breath of fire technique.

She had to survive.

"I'm everything Flanella has left in this world."

Cinnamon Bun couldn't fulfill his promise. He wouldn't be by her side anymore. After surprising Furnius with the news of her newborn child, war stirred in the land. Flame Princess fought in vain to repress those memories, of how she couldn't defend her soldiers with her giant form when an acid rain began to pour upon the battlefield… How Cinnamon Bun got in the way between her and the razor sharp ice sword of the enemy… How his body was cut in half, and how no matter how much she tried to heal it with her heat, the rain impeded her from doing so.

How he had died in her arms moments later, asking her for one single favor in return for all of his years of unconditional service.

"_Can you please just… smile for me, one last time?"_

* * *

**_Author's Notes:_**

_**My, this got really emotional all of a sudden. Can't help it, I just love emotional stuff! Speaking of being emotional, I would like to thank you, dear readers for supporting this story. At first I wanted it to be only three chapters long (the heck was I thinking?), then three short arcs long and now, because of all the interest you've showed, the story grew to be this big! Just to let you guys see the power of influence that you have over us, the writers. So thank you very much for boosting my inspiration levels up! Hope to hear more from you as the story is now getting closer to its definitive ending! ** _


	14. Act XIV: The Fool

_**Flanella**_

* * *

_**Act XIV: The Fool**_

* * *

"_A new phase of life begins, a risk must be taken, a need to abandon the old and start something new. The Fool often depicts a person who takes risks in life, and often struggles with his ego. He is sometimes seen as a 'dreamer'. The Fool has the desire to achieve goals, but must be careful to make the right choices._

_On a lower level, the Fool often displays a great deal of moral blindness. He has a tendency to live in a world of materialism, leaving the spiritual essence behind.__The task of the Fool is to help others (as well as himself) build a strong foundation.__The Fool stands for each of us, as we embark on a new stage in our lives."_

–**Tarot, Major Arcana**

Crabbit covered his long rabbit ears, stepping away from the caged baby. The music had stopped only seconds ago, and it was then that Flanella began to cry as loudly as ever. The confused hybrid couldn't tell what had suddenly gone wrong with her. They had been actually enjoying their time together, even if it hurt him admitting so. Desperate, Crabbit lunged over the small cage and opened it, yanking the child out of it. Flanella's whining could only grow louder. He clumsily began to shake her in the air while ordering her to stop crying.

It took him quite a while to realize that babies weren't reasonable creatures. She couldn't understand his commands, and jerking her hysterically around the room wasn't being of much help either. Thus, after making things worse for himself and the little girl, he came to the conclusion that something bad might have happened to her.

"She must be broken or something," he pondered, holding Flanella upside-down by her leg. "Just like when my radio stopped working!"

Crabbit raised the baby higher to examine her body, which caused her loose white dress to slip down and cover her face as her dippers came into view. He checked her short legs and her chubby tummy before flipping her back to a more comfortable position. Nothing seemed wrong, but just to be sure, the crow-rabbit laid Flanella on top of a werehog's cage to scan her better. She responded to the contact against the cold rusty metal with more high-pitched whimpers, which disturbed both the fierce animal inside the cage and Crabbit himself.

"I don't know what do you want of me!" he cried as well, "And I'm still hungry!"

Still feeling uncomfortable, Flanella stretched her arms upwards, begging the black creature before her to pick her up. Crabbit's dense brain took a couple of minutes to process the baby's plea, and as he bent over to relocate her, the hybrid finally noticed the cause of the child's distress. Small wounds, piercing the delicate flesh of the palm and back of her hands had been mysteriously formed. The same happened on her chest as a small drop of blood oozed through her dress.

"Oh… I see. You've been hurt!" With that exclamation he took her in his arms and then plopped onto the floor in a cross-legged position. "I know, this was Maja's doing!" Crabbit looked down at Flanella, not really offering her much comfort as he held her on one of his claws. "Don't worry, baby. Maja has hurt me a lot too… the pain never lasts long, though…"

Flanella ceased her sobs momentarily, distracted by the movements of his lengthy beak. Crabbit discerned the change in her behavior and came up with an idea. He morphed his humanoid form into the shape of a round, fluffy bunny-like animal. "Caw! I'm a Crabbit!" he announced energetically. His long black ears danced above Flanella as his now less frightening body figure bounced around the room. "Caw! Caw! This is the fancy butt dance!"

It took several rides, but the little girl's tears soon faded away. Crabbit's ears turned out to be an interesting toy to tug and play with. Not that their owner was pleased with having a child pulling on his hearing lugs, but at least, it was better than having to stand her crying. Eventually he grew tired of dragging his rear end along the dusty floor, and decided that it was time to take a nap.

"Caw! Caw! The Crabbit train needs a break!" he said, abruptly dropping Flanella onto the ground.

She didn't seem bothered by his rude manners anymore. All the seven month-old Flanella cared about now, was grasping the hybrid's elongated ears once again. Unaware of the girl's determined resolve, Crabbit turned his back at her as he searched for his unstitched pillow and his tattered blanket. His sudden spin caused Flanella to miss her aim and fall flat on her stomach. She gave it no importance. She had found a better and easier toy to reach. Crabbit's cotton-like tail lay in front of her blue eyes. With some effort, Flanella crawled closer to it and sitting up, she claimed her prize.

"Caw!" he shrieked, shooting himself away from the unwanted intruder with the help of his wings. By the time Crabbit had perched onto a higher shelf, Flanella had already been pushed back to the floor. Seeing that her only companion was out of her reach, the little girl puffed her cheeks in irritation, her eyes flooding with new tears to shed.

"Oh no, not again…" Crabbit sighed.

He descended near the baby with a gentle glide. His bunny form then stood before her, only a little bit taller than her, his front paws being held against his chest. Flanella, intrigued by this, quit her weeping, her teary blue eyes observing him with growing curiosity. Crabbit tilted his head, prompting Flanella to do the same. He proceeded to clap his paws and the girl repeated the action, more playfully than before. Crabbit drew what appeared to be a satisfied grin along his beak. His plan to calm her down was a complete success. Next, he stretched his arms open, expecting the child to do the same.

To his surprise, Flanella balanced her body forward, falling into him. Her short arms surrounded his neck as she laid her head on his shoulder. Crabbit remained static, his arms still outstretched in opposite directions. He didn't know how to react at this. One thing was to deal with ear tugging and tail yanking, but this was something completely different, never felt by him before: Crabbit's first hug.

"Oh…" he breathed, still overwhelmed by the new sensation of happiness spreading through his body. "This doesn't hurt…not at all…" Experimenting further, Crabbit placed his knobby paws on Flanella's back, pulling her closer. "Babies are so soft and nice…! Why didn't anyone care to tell me that before?"

Flanella giggled softly, apparently having missed how being embraced, comforted and protected felt. She cuddled on Crabbit's fluffy black feathers while this one pondered on what to do with her now. He couldn't have enough of that tender expression of affection, unknown to him until that day. It was even better than dancing, one of the few things that brought joy to his miserable existence.

"This is so weird!" he chuckled, "Is this what being loved feels like?"

Crabbit's long life dream was to one day be loved by millions, by people who would admire him by his amazing dancing skills. Perhaps, deep inside, what he truly wanted was some attention. To be respected and wanted by who he was, simple things Maja had forbidden him from having. He had lived a lonely life for centuries, always abused by his evil mistress, always hiding in the shadows. No wonder he had no friends.

"That's it!" Crabbit gasped in excitement, letting go of the baby. "I know what you are now! You are my first… fan!"

Flanella waved her hands as she joyfully slid back to the floor. She landed on her back as Kokko's golden feather drifted off her person and floated in front of Crabbit's face. The hybrid caught it in his grip, analyzing its golden glimmer with a serious glance.

"That bird…" he growled resentfully. "I mean, look at this! Imagine if I was born with beautiful, eye-catching feathers like this! Maybe people would think I'm attractive, maybe they wouldn't confuse me with the dark. After all, an artist needs to stand out from the rest somehow!"

Crabbit stared at Flanella, noticing that she was struggling to get Kokko's feather back from him. She couldn't do much, however. Her feeble feet were still not strong enough to support her, and she didn't seem to want to crawl on her stomach anymore. She babbled a frustrated baby speech, outstretching her hands towards her golden feather. Crabbit arched an eyebrow.

"Little baby, won't you give it to me? C'mon!" he begged.

Flanella whined, frowning.

"I-I know, let's trade!"

With that, Crabbit plucked a black feather from his shoulder and offered it to the child. Flanella's eyes were still focused on Kokko's feather, which prevented her from noticing the hybrid's proposal. Crabbit began to tickle her stomach with his feather then, leading the little girl to forget about her stolen belonging as she excitedly tried to catch the tickling feather. Crabbit let her get it, closing the deal to his convenience.

"There!" he exclaimed, placing the shimmering plume on top of his head. "I feel like a star already! What do you think of me now, baby? Aren't I a handsome guy or what?"

Flanella paid no attention to his question. Instead, she devoted herself to play with the black feather, presumably wondering why it had stopped tickling her. Soon, little Flanella grew bored of her fruitless research and did what any infant of her age would do in a similar situation; get the strange object into her toothless mouth. Crabbit noticed this immediately, cawing in indignation.

"No, don't suck it!" he corrected, grasping the dark plume rather forcefully. He carefully slid it behind Flanella's ear in a Robin Hood style. "See? Now you look like a real Crabbit fan!"

The child blinked in confusion.

"Crabbit fan!" the hybrid repeated, "Repeat after me: I'm Crabbit's greatest fan."

Flanella could only utter baby nonsense, followed by a joyful giggle.

Crabbit scratched his head, somewhat amused by his new friend's inability to speak. "Alright, just try to say Crabbit then! See if that's easier."

However, before Flanella could try again, a strenuous bang boomed throughout the antique mansion. A violent quake was felt, the lamp hanging above them shook wildly as the caged animals roared and cried in response, increasing the impact of the turmoil on the little girl. She grew uneasy soon enough, a terrified whine coming out of her quivering lips. Distraught by the commotion and the swelling tears in Flanella's eyes, Crabbit transformed back into his humanoid form.

Yet, the muscled being towering before her, no longer seemed threatening or scary to her. He gently picked the child up from the ground, wrapping her in his arms. It felt good to be able to carry out his newly discovered skill to hug, and how easy it was to cease Flanella's crying just by performing it.

"Hush now, little girl…" Crabbit whispered as he leaned against the wall and opened the door stealthy. "I'll make sure everything's fine."

He peeked through the small gap, gazing at the source of the recent explosion. At the end of the hallway a fireball had erupted. The wild flames burning the charred wallpaper were then fused together, materializing a fire elemental into the spot. Crabbit placed a hand on the back of Flanella's head, pushing her against his chest in an attempt to muffle any whimper that might come from her.

He was certain the baby girl could sense something dreadful and he knew the reason why. That fire elemental was the one who had been making vicious deals with Maja, Furnius the banished prince. It could be that he had come to claim Flanella as Maja had mentioned earlier. Crabbit gulped his nerves down, his features tensing. As Furnius made his way down the hall, the hybrid tightened his embrace on the child, as if stating that she now belonged to him and Furnius was invading his territory.

The fire elemental took no notice of the shadow peering at him, and continued to advance towards the witch's quarters. Once some distance had been made between them, Crabbit proceeded to follow him in the hopes of finding out what was Maja scheming now. As expected, Furnius stepped in the cauldron chamber. Crabbit sidled against the outer wall and spied the scene in silence.

Maja's eyes were focused on her crystal ball, while her Tarot deck laid carelessly spread by her feet. Her features were thoughtful, her breathing deep and solemn. Furnius didn't bother in knocking and simply walked in her direction, proud as the king he now was.

"Well, here I am!" he snickered, "Your magic has served me well, for that I'll gladly pay you for your services! What is it that you want? Jewels? Gold? I'll give you whatever you want! The whole land is practically mine now, so…"

Furnius waited for the witch to react or at least say something, but Maja remained frozen on her chair, giving him her back as if she didn't care about his presence. How dare she, a simple peasant, ignore him? This of course, irritated him. Her offense was unforgivable.

"_It all has been set in motion…"_ she hissed delightfully, much to his surprise. _"I thought you'd like to know that the child is here."_

Furnius shrunk back the fireball that he had formed in his fist and frowned. "The child? Do you mean my cousin's petty mongrel?" he suppressed a cackle. "Fine. Give her to me, then!"

Crabbit shifted in the shadows, alarmed.

"_Not so fast, Mr.!"_ Maja stood up and faced him with a mocking smirk. _"I'm afraid, I have changed my mind."_ she laughed.

The fire elemental gritted his teeth, growling. "And what's that supposed to mean? Is she what you want as payment? Fine! You can have that scamp, for all I care! Better for me, yet."

Furnius swung the cape on his shoulders sullenly as he turned back to the exit. Maja, stoical, flicked her wrist, forcing the door to shut before him. Both Crabbit and Flanella flinched, drowning a sudden gasp. The fire elemental gripped his fists, his anger raising.

"What's the meaning of this?!" he hissed, his eyes blazing with contained fury.

"_The child is not enough,"_ Maja declared. _"I know you captured the mother and I want you to bring her to me."_

"No way! Flame Princess' worth exceeds that of our deal! You can keep the child, but the mother will stay with me!"

"_Why, so that you can keep extorting the will of your subjects with her misery?" _Maja folded her arms, amused. _"Some king we have here! You still depend on her to fully manipulate your people? My, how pathetic! To think that you only managed to achieve the position you're in now because of me, and yet you dare to feel proud of yourself! You fire elementals are all the same, so pitiful, so weak!"_

That was the last straw. Furnius wouldn't take it anymore. An aura of wild flames engulfed him, his massive body ready to charge against the mocking witch. "I'll show you who's weak!" his mighty roar boomed in the chamber. Maja's smirk remained unperturbed on her composed features. She raised a single hand, and did nothing else to counterattack her enemy.

It wasn't necessary. When she set her eyes back on Furnius, the fire elemental was hovering several feet above the ground, his body twitching and twisting. Furnius had lost all control on his body. He couldn't even speak at will. Frustrated grunts and groans were the only sign that conveyed his undying rage.

"_So, this bozo thinks he has a say in the matter?"_ Maja sneered, _"That's cute. Tell me now, your majesty, how does it feel to be deprived of all control? I believe this is what you did to Flame Princess, right? Is it as painful on your own skin as it looked on hers?" _

"_You thought I was just some gypsy beggar, another pawn in your game. But the truth is,"_ she confessed, _"You never had any control at all. It was always me! I am the one controlling your fate! I am your master! Now, if you want to keep that useless crown on top of your head, I suggest you do as I say, and bring me the mother! Now!" _

She swiped the air, sending Furnius against the locked door. His body crashed through it, warning Crabbit and forcing him to take cover. Humiliated, once the prince had hit the ground, he slithered away from Maja for dear life. Furnius had no choice but to obey, and he cursed his luck as he opened a new portal. He vanished within it seconds later, much to Crabbit's relief.

Maja's maniacal laughter put an end to his brief moment of peace. Furnius' despair was too comical for her. It had been so easy; it was almost a blessing that the world was full of self-centered idiots for her to control. Having enjoyed herself, Maja walked up to her cauldron and clinging onto it with her trembling fingers, she sighed.

"_It's been fun, I can't deny that, but this joke turned out to be pretty expensive."_ She glanced at her hand agitatedly. It had withered. _"Oh, that __**shirt**__ kept my powers at its best all these years! It was such a crucial ingredient in the recipe of my vengeance, and now! Now it's worth nothing!"_

Staring at the bottom of her cauldron, it was now obvious that she was running out of soul sap. Her strength was decreasing, and her time was short. That damned curse that kept her heartless powers at bay was draining her. Just a few more drops of emotional juice, that was all she needed for her energy to last until the preparations for her ultimate spell were complete.

"_Crabbit!"_ she suddenly yelled, letting go of her cauldron. _"Crabbit, you weenus! Can't you hear that I'm calling you!? Bring me the child, Crabbit! I need more power!"_

Her familiar felt his entire body shut down, fear crawling up his spine. Maja continued to call out for him, her anger boiling in contempt. Mustering the little courage he had, Crabbit got on his feet, and carrying Flanella in his arms, he stepped inside the chamber.

"_It was about time. Now give me that baby!"_ his mistress demanded, almost desperately.

Crabbit was ready to obey. What else could he do? He cared more for his own life than anything or anyone else. And as he approached the witch, the little girl in his arms, thinking the hybrid could keep her safe, buried her frightened face in his chest. Her tiny arms surrounded him. It was another hug. One that asked for protection, for love… Crabbit's feet stopped their pace sharply. Maja glanced at him impatiently, a glare in her dark eyes. Crabbit however, couldn't move an inch father, not when Flanella was staring at him with those big saddened eyes of hers.

"_Humph! Crabbit, have you finally bunked up your brains? What are you waiting for, a written invitation?"_ Maja shouted, _"Give me that child, __**now**__!"_

"N-n…" he weakly stuttered. Crabbit shook his head and inhaled deeply. "What I meant to say was… No, Maja."

The witch's eyes widened as her angered features melted into a complete state of perplexity. _"Excuse me?"_

The crow-rabbit met her eyes, full of determination. "I said no, Maja! No more! I told you; I can't be part of this anymore! I'm a dancer now! A true dancer!" he lowered his head to smile at the baby in his arms. "Because, I just got my first fan…"

Maja snorted in amusement, soon blurting out in laughter. Her hands held her aching stomach as she contorted frantically to one side and the other, guffawing at her pathetic servant and his ridiculous words. Crabbit furrowed his brow, he knew Maja well enough to foresee the actions that would shortly follow her mocks.

He retreated slowly and laid Flanella on a corner, behind a wooden crate filled with unknown witchcraft-related goods. "Stay here." Crabbit advised, ready to face his mistress in battle.

"Ca–!" she whined, grasping the soft puff of black hair that his tail was.

"We play later, alright?" he assured, "I must go and do important grown-up stuff. Things I should have done a long time ago. Listen, baby…" the hybrid rubbed the back of his neck, uncertain of what to say next or if Flanella could even understand his words. "Before, I wanted to kill you because you were much of a nuisance to me. But then I realized that, in the little time we shared, you changed something in me… And I think that was good because, for the first time in my life, I feel happy!"

He patted her small head and walked away.

"Ca–!" she cried again, stretching her hands towards him in vain.

"_You know what's the punishment for disobeying my orders, don't you Crabbit?"_ Maja smirked as her feet took off from the ground. _"Such treason can only be paid with death!"_

"Come at me, Maja!" Crabbit challenged, "I'm not afraid of you anymore!"

She wasted no time in shooting her blue zaps at him. Crabbit jumped away from them, losing some feathers in the process. The truth was that he had never been able to outrun Maja's attacks. Her powers, however weakened by the curse cast upon them, were far greater than his. Why was he rebelling against her then? The battle couldn't be won and he knew that perfectly. He was practically dead, and yet, he was willing to fight. Why?

Before he could escape again, Maja paralyzed his body just like she had done it with Furnius before. Crabbit shivered in fear, sensing how the witch approached him. This would be his end and he had wanted it that way; because he didn't want his greatest and only fan to think that he was a coward, because he couldn't just hand Flanella over that easily. If Maja wanted her so badly, she would have to stomp over his dead body first.

"_I pity you, Crabbit." _Maja commented, _"You were my loyal familiar for uncountable centuries, and now you just want to bring that down? Every evil plan we schemed together, even if you ruined them all, meant something to me!"_ she brought her index finger to her lips, slightly embarrassed. _"Wait, no! My bad. What I was trying to say was that, I'm glad I finally have an excuse to get rid of you!" _

"Is that all?" he wearily muttered.

"_You are such a fool, Crabbit."_ She sentenced, pressing a glowing hand on his abdomen. _"And no one mourns a fool."_

Before Flanella could realize what had happened, a blinding light engulfed the chamber. The sound of an electric explosion filled her ears, sending constant pricks of pain through her nerves. Maja's evil laughter followed soon after, and as the baby recovered to seek for her hybrid friend, the only sign of him that she could glimpse was Kokko's golden feather. It drifted gently through the giant hole left in the wall and landed at Maja's feet. Flanella couldn't understand why, when the witch picked up the golden feather, she suddenly felt compelled to scream her lungs out and storm out of the half destroyed room.

Terrified, confused, and most of all, lonely. That was how little Flanella was left behind in that accursed floating mansion. Her eyes were filled with tears, and still she couldn't find the strength to cry. She peeked at the hole left by Crabbit's blasted body, feeling the cold breeze in her hair before uttering, what was perhaps, her first word ever spoken.

"Cabit?"

* * *

_**Author's Notes:**_

_**Someone sent me a PM asking why I don't reply to reviews at the end of each chapter like many author's here usually do. Well, I'm not really sure of why I don't do that. However, if you guys want me to do it, I'll gladly will. So, do you want me to do it?**_

_**Besides that, hope you have enjoyed this chapter. And as always, thank you for any reviews/critics that you might want to leave! ** _


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